Devin Booker, CP3 lead Suns to 2-0 lead over Bucks in NBA Finals

The Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks meet in Game 2 Thursday evening with the home team looking to take a 2-0 series lead in the Finals. The Suns will be without Dario Saric, who suffered a torn ACL in Game 1. The Bucks will hope Giannis Antetokounmpo will be ready to take on more minutes after playing 35 in the opener. The Greek Freak returned from a hyperextended knee to put up 20 points and 17 rebounds in a 118-105 loss. Chris Paul will look to keep up his hot play for the Suns. The point guard is averaging 31.7 points per game in his last three playoff contests.

The Suns were favorites heading into the contest, moving anywhere from -6 to -4.5. The line appears to have settled at -4.5 ahead of the game according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

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 2.

2021 NBA Finals: Suns vs. Bucks, Game 2 live updates

End of the fourth quarter — Suns 118, Bucks 108. Paul and Booker turned things up the second half to lead Phoenix to a 2-0 lead in the Finals. The backcourt combined for 54 points, with Booker having 31. Mikal Bridges broke out with 27 points. Antetokounmpo was phenomenal with 42 points but got minimal help from the supporting cast. Middleton and Holiday really struggled, going 12-37 from the field. The over hit at 220.5 and Suns -4.5 hit. Phoenix hit 20 three-pointers to Milwaukee’s nine, a big reason for the home team winning. Game 3 is Sunday in Milwaukee at 8 p.m. ET. The Bucks have to win in order to stay alive in the series, as no team in NBA history has come back from down 3-0 in a playoff matchup.

11:19 p.m. — The Bucks have cut Phoenix’s lead to 103-97 with over four minutes left in Game 2. The under is looking solid, but both teams could heat up here late to make the over possible. Antetokounmpo is up to 36 points, but Middleton and Holiday are now 12-35 from the floor.

11:15 p.m. — Booker is up to 31 points and the Suns have opened up a 103-94 lead on the Bucks. Paul has tallied 20 points as Phoenix attempts to take a 2-0 lead in the Finals.

End of the third quarter — The Suns lead the Bucks 88-78 after three. Phoenix is +24 from behind the arc, making 16 triples in the game. Antetokounmpo has eclipsed his player prop number of 26.5 with 32 points, costing a lot of bettors some cash. Booker is up to 22 points to lead the Suns. Paul is up to 18 points and is closing in on his player prop point line of 22.5. Holiday and Middleton have combined to shoot 8-30 from the field.

10:41 p.m. — Devin Booker has come alive, reaching 20 points while also tallying six assists. Paul has climbed up to 16 points as the Suns have a 79-69 lead. The under is looking good at 221 and Suns -4.5 is in play.

10:33 p.m. — The Suns are 13-28 from behind the arc, but Antetokounmpo has kept the Bucks in the game with 25 points. Phoenix is up 70-63 midway through the third quarter.

Halftime — The Suns lead the Bucks 56-45 with Mikal Bridges leading the way for Phoenix. He’s got 13 points. The Bucks have coughed up their advantage largely due to Middleton and Holiday’s struggles from the floor. The duo is 5-24 from the floor. The Suns also hold a big advantage on threes, going 11-24 in the first half while Milwaukee shot 4-16 from deep. Booker and Ayton have been average, combining for 15 points on 6-18 shooting.

It’s not looking great for the crowd who bet the over, but Suns -4.5 is in play. If you want to bet on the moneyline right now on DraftKings Sportsbook, the Suns are -625 while the Bucks are +430.

10:05 p.m. — Antetokounmpo grabbed his knee after going to ground on a foul on Chris Paul, which could’ve been a charge. Milwaukee’s star is still in the game, but his knee is something to monitor going forward.

10:00 p.m. — The Suns have gone on a 7-0 to take a 48-41 lead. Chris Paul has quietly gotten up to eight points after a rough shooting start. Khris Middleton and Holiday have combined to shoot 5-20, which is not a recipe for success for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo has eight points and eight rebounds so far in the contest.

9:47 p.m. — The Suns continue to light up the Bucks from deep and have a 39-35 lead. Holiday has continued to be aggressive for Milwaukee, attempting 12 shots so far in the contest. Phoenix is 9-19 from behind the arc.

End of the first quarter — Phoenix is staying in the contest due to the three-point shot. The Suns have gone 8-14 from deep, while the Bucks are 2-4. Milwaukee leads 29-26 after one, which is good news for bettors who took the over.

9:26 p.m. — The pace has been incredible in the first quarter. The Bucks are up 23-20 and won the race to 15 points, if you picked them in DraftKings free $5k pool. The Suns are +15 in threes, keeping them in the contest. P.J. Tucker has been a revelation with seven early points for Milwaukee.

9:18 p.m. — The Bucks are up 14-9 at the first TV timeout with Antetokounmpo having six early points and two rebounds. Jrue Holiday has also been aggressive for Milwaukee with five shot attempts, making three. Devin Booker has gone 0-4 early for the Suns.

8:57 p.m. — Here are the final lines before tip. Suns are favorites at -4.5, the over/under is up to 221 and the Suns are -195 on the moneyline, while the Bucks are +155.

Phoenix Suns starting lineup

Milwaukee Bucks starting lineup