National Basketball Association

NBA world reacts to Jrue Holiday's steal, Bucks' Game 5 victory over Suns

Updated Jul. 18, 2021 1:17 a.m. ET

It was a Game 5 for the ages on Saturday in Phoenix.

Despite an electric Footprint Center and a second consecutive 40-point performance from Devin Booker, the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 16-point deficit for a 123-119 victory in Game 5 and a 3-2 series lead over the Phoenix Suns.

The Bucks now lead an NBA Finals series for the first time since 1971, when they swept the then-Baltimore Bullets. Game 5 marked the third straight win for Milwaukee and its first win in Phoenix since 2017.

The game was back-and-forth throughout. The Suns dominated the first quarter and jumped to an early lead before the Bucks came back in a big way, sealing the deal in the final moments thanks to veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, whose spectacular end-to-end sequence with 16.7 seconds to spare cemented Phoenix's fate.

With arguably one of the biggest steals in Bucks franchise history, Holiday stole the ball from Booker in the final seconds and lobbed it to a waiting Giannis Antetokounmpo, who slammed it in for the Bucks.

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The sequence was the cherry on top of Holiday's spectacular night. He went 12-for-20 for 27 points, 13 assists, four rebounds and three steals. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo shot 60.8% from the floor to lead the Bucks with 32 points.

After the game, Antetokounmpo shared what was going through his mind as the duo connected.

"Big time steal by Holiday," he said. "I think the pass was all about trust."

Bucks' guard Pat Connaughton referred to Holiday as "a winner" through and through.

"Defensively, he shows it on a nightly basis, his aggressiveness on both ends of the floor," he said. "Those are the types of things that, I think, win championships."

Here's how the sports world reacted to Game 5's final moments.

The Bucks are now one win away from their first NBA championship since 1971. Game 6 will tip at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday in Milwaukee.

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