Here’s The Game Day’s Milwaukee Bucks vs Phoenix Suns Game 3 Prediction with 2021 NBA Finals Picks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo did his part for the Milwaukee Bucks with 42 points in Game 2, but the rest of his teammates forgot to show up. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton combined for 28 points on 12-of-37 shooting and the Bucks shot just 29.0% from three-point range — a number they’ll have to improve if they hope to prevail in Game 3.
The Phoenix Suns, on the other hand, were exceptional once again, shooting 48.9% from the floor and 50% from downtown. They continued to move the ball well on offense, racking up 26 assists compared to 21 for the Bucks. Mikal Bridges (27 points), Jae Crowder (11 points, 10 rebounds), and even Cameron Johnson (eight points) all did their part by knocking down wide-open threes created by excellent ball movement, helping Phoenix to another double-digit victory.
Game 3 of the 2021 NBA Finals will start at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 11, and will air on ABC, with Milwaukee favored to win by four points at home, per BetMGM.
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Phoenix Suns vs Milwaukee Bucks Game 3 Analysis
Antetokounmpo did exactly what the Bucks needed him to do in Game 2 — attack the basket — but Holiday and Middleton couldn’t buy a bucket. After scoring 29 points on 12-of-26 shooting in Game 1, Middleton finished with just 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting in Game 2. He operated as more of a facilitator with eight assists, but Milwaukee will need either him or Holiday to help take the scoring load off Giannis in Game 3.
The Bucks are 7-1 at home in the playoffs and now find themselves in a must-win scenario in Game 3, as no NBA team has ever come back from an 0-3 postseason deficit. Holiday in particular has been great at home of late, averaging 26.7 points and 10.0 assists over his last three home games. After shooting just 31.4% in the first two games of the series, expect Holiday to bounce back in a big way in Game 3.
Phoenix, meanwhile, is sitting pretty after taking care of business on its home court. Chris Paul and Devin Booker were fantastic again in Game 2, combining for 54 points. Their supporting cast stepped up as well, led by Bridges exploding for a career playoff-high 27 points.
The Suns are 6-2 on the road in the playoffs, but they’ll have their work cut out for them in Game 3 against a Bucks team desperate for a win. Phoenix failed to cover the spread in both of their two road losses and are currently four-point underdogs on Sunday. Give me Milwaukee to win and cover the spread.
Milwaukee Bucks: Keys To Victory
- Close out on the Suns’ shooters.
- Give Giannis some help on offense.
- Start strong and build up an early lead.
Phoenix Suns: Keys To Victory
- Don’t step off the gas and take Milwaukee’s crowd out of the game early.
- Move the ball to find open looks from deep.
- Continue to get key contributions from role players.
2021 NBA Finals Game 3 Betting Predictions
2021 NBA Finals Game 3 Player Prop Bets
As mentioned earlier, Holiday is averaging 26.7 points in his last three playoff home games. He’s also averaging 19.5 field-goal attempts over his last four games. Holiday is a better shooter than he showed in the first two games, so some of those shots are bound to start falling eventually. I think he’ll come out aggressive at home in Game 3 and wind up scoring at least 20 points, which he did four times in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Booker has been great for Phoenix throughout the playoffs, but his Points+Assists+Rebounds (PRA) line is a bit high for my liking at 38.5. He hit this number in Game 2 thanks in large part to his 31 points and six assists, but he’s gone under this number in six of eight road games during this postseason. Booker could put up a line of 27 points, five rebounds, and six assists and still finish shy of 38.5 PRA, so give me the under on this number in Game 3.
Deandre Ayton continues to log heavy minutes for the Suns in these playoffs. In fact, he’s played 40 or more minutes in three of his last five games, which has helped boost his scoring numbers. He’s gone over 15.5 points in six of his last eight games and I’d expect him to shoot better than the 4-for-10 he shot in Game 2, which was his lowest shooting percentage of the postseason thus far. I like Ayton to bounce back and score more than 15 points in Game 3.
2021 NBA Finals Game 3 Single-Game Parlay
- Jrue Holiday (Bucks): Over 19.5 Points (-110) at BetMGM
- Devin Booker (Suns): Under 38.5 PRA (-110) at BetMGM
- Deandre Ayton (Suns): Over 15.5 Points (-115) at BetMGM
Make a Single-Game Parlay with these bets (+567) at BetMGM:
Bucks vs Suns 2021 NBA Finals Schedule
- Game 1: Bucks 105, Suns 118
- Game 2: Bucks 108, Suns 118
- Game 3: Sunday, July 11, at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 4: Wednesday, July 14, at Milwaukee, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 5: Saturday, July 17, at Phoenix, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)*
- Game 6: Tuesday, July 20, at Milwaukee, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)*
- Game 7: Thursday, July 22, at Phoenix, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)*
*If necessary
