Big 3 for Bucks come up huge in 123-119 win over Suns in Game 5 of NBA Finals

The Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks meet in a pivotal Game 5 as the 2021 NBA Finals is officially a best-of-3 series. The home team has won each contest, giving Suns fans some confidence but the Bucks have the best player on the floor in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee placed Giannis’ brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo in health and safety protocols ahead of Game 5, signaling possible trouble as COVID-19 cases rise again across the country. That situation will be worth monitoring going forward, although no other Bucks players are out for the game. A referee is also being replaced for Game 5 due to health and safety protocols.

The Suns are favored at -4 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 220. Game 4 is the only game to go under that line, while Game 3 was technically a push at 220. The Suns are -170 on the moneyline while the Bucks are +150.

In this file, we’ll be tracking all the latest updates during the game, providing stats so you can keep an eye on your player prop bets. We’ll also keep an eye on the betting splits and how the public did against the books in Game 5.

2021 NBA Finals: Bucks vs. Suns, Game 5 live updates

End of Game 5 — The Bucks outlast the Suns for a 123-119 victory in Game 5. Milwaukee takes a 3-2 lead in the series and now sets up a chance to close out the series at home. Antetokounmpo finishes with 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists but the real story was the Bucks’ other stars. Middleton and Holiday combine for 56 points to power Milwaukee to a win. Booker led the Suns with 40 points, but couldn’t hit shots late.

Bucks +3.5 hit as the did Milwaukee on the moneyline. The over was crushed in the fourth quarter. The Bucks are now one win away from a title and have a chance to close this thing out at home.

11:29 p.m. — The Suns have gone on a 12-3 to cut this to a 120-119 Bucks lead with under 40 seconds to play. This is a pivotal moment in the Finals, with a 3-2 lead in the balance. One team is going to elated, the other will be crushed.

11:23 p.m. — It’s 120-114 Bucks with 1:45 left. Phoenix has a slight chance here, but Milwaukee’s “Big 3” is cooking. The trio has combined for 85 points in an effort to send the series back to Milwaukee with the Bucks up 3-2.

11:04 p.m. — The Suns hit back-to-back triples to cut the deficit to 108-100. Paul is up to 14 points to go along with 10 assists after the last three and Ayton has found his footing with 18 points.

11:01 p.m. — The Bucks have been unreal on fadeaway jumpers from midrange, with all of Milwaukee’s stars showing efficiency on those shots. Antetokounmpo and Middleton have connected on such shots in the fourth quarter, and Holiday has been hitting those all game. Booker has 33 points, but is seeing more defenders as he tries to climb back from a 108-94 deficit on his own.

End of the third quarter — The Bucks are up 100-90 and are 12 minutes away from winning their third straight Finals game and going back home with a chance to clinch the title. Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton have combined for 65 points. Booker is carrying the Suns with 29 points. The over is going to hit barring a disastrous fourth quarter. Bettors who took the Suns with the spread and moneyline (and there were a lot of them) are not too happy right now. Still one quarter to change everything.

10:44 p.m. — The Bucks are up 94-83 with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. Milwaukee’s “Big 3” of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday have combined for 63 points. The Suns have cooled off since scoring 37 points in the first quarter and are struggling to find open shots. After forcing the Bucks into seven tunovers early, the Suns have only managed to get one more turnover the rest of the way.

10:35 p.m. — It’s the Bucks who have opened up a big lead in the third quarter at 85-75. Holiday is carrying the team with 23 points on 10-13 shooting, while Middleton has 20 points on 9-17 shooting. Antetokounmpo has 14 points, six assists and five rebounds. Booker leads the Suns with 27 points, but hasn’t gotten much help. Deandre Ayton, who struggled in Game 4, only has 12 points. Chris Paul has gone cold with nine points on 4-10 shooting.

Halftime — Here’s a look at the live spread, over/under and moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The spread has gone down to Suns -1.5. It was as high as 12.5 early in the second quarter. The over/under has climbed from 220 to 237.5. The moneyline is Suns -120 and Bucks -110. This a huge swing. At one point, the Suns were nearly -700 on the moneyline while the Bucks were around +400 at the same point.

Halftime — The Bucks lead the Suns 64-61 after a wild first half. Holiday has responded after a poor Game 4 shooting performance, putting in 18 points on 8-11 shooting. Antetokounmpo has 12 points, four rebounds and four assists for Milwaukee. Booker leads the Suns with 15 points. Phoenix held a 16-point lead entering the second quarter, but cooled off early and eventually gave it all back. The over is looking great for bettors, but the spread and moneyline are trending towards Milwaukee right now.

9:56 p.m. — After being down by 16 points early, the Bucks have taken a 50-49 lead on a three-pointer from Portis. Milwaukee has shot 7-13 from behind the arc to climb back into the game. The Suns have gone cold in the second quarter, hitting just five shots.

9:48 p.m. — The Bucks have cut Phoenix’s lead to eight after a 11-3 run. The Suns now lead 40-32. Holiday, who is playing with two fouls, has 11 points on 5-7 shooting. Unfortunately for the Bucks, Middleton has struggled with a 1-7 line right now. Milwaukee made that run with Antetokounmpo on the bench.

End of the first quarter — The Suns lead the Bucks 37-21 behind a ridiculous shooting start. Devin Booker, fresh off a 42 point game, has 11 to lead Phoenix. Giannis Antetokounmpo has eight points for Milwaukee, who has shot the ball well but struggled with turnovers. The bettors who took the Suns with the spread and moneyline are feeling great right now. The over is looking great right now as well.

9:33 p.m. — The Suns are shooting 78.6 percent from the floor and hold a 32-16 lead over the Bucks with just about three minutes left in the first quarter. This is a disaster start for the Bucks, who have surpassed their entire Game 4 turnover total already with six turnovers. The Suns are doing everything right and hitting every shot. This is the best possible outcome for Phoenix at the moment.

9:23 p.m. — Holiday is 2-2 from the floor, but has to go to the bench with 6:42 in the first quarter with two fouls. The guard has been instrumental in the series with his stellar defense, but might not play for much of the rest of the half.

9:18 p.m. — Jae Crowder has eight early points as the Suns hold a 14-9 lead over the Bucks. The forward is shooting 57 percent from behind the arc in the last three games and is looking like he’s going to be a big factor in Game 5. The Bucks have been sloppy so far offensively with four turnovers. Jrue Holiday has hit his only shot of the game and Khris Middleton is 1-3. Those two are the keys for Milwaukee to steal a game on the road.

8:55 p.m. — Final check on the spread, over/under and moneyline for Game 5. The Suns are favored at -3.5, which is a slight drop from earlier tonight. The over/under is still at 220. Phoenix is now -165 on the moneyline while Milwaukee is +145. Some slight movement towards the Bucks, but nothing major. Most of the betting public is taking the Suns with the spread and on the moneyline, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. A majority of bettors expect the over to hit.

Suns starting lineup

Bucks starting lineup