National Basketball Association

NBA Finals: Top moments from Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns Game 5

Updated Jul. 18, 2021 12:09 a.m. ET

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The Milwaukee Bucks are one win away from their first NBA championship since 1971.

The Bucks — hot off a pivotal Game 4 win in front of their home crowd that evened the series 2-2 — defeated the Phoenix Suns 123-119 on Saturday to take a series lead for the first time in these NBA Finals.

It was Milwaukee’s first win in Phoenix since November 2017, and the Bucks improved to 12-2 in Games 3-7 this postseason. (The Bucks are 3-5 in Games 1 and 2.) 

Historically, when the NBA Finals are tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 goes on to take the series 72% of the time (21-8).

On the other side, the Suns have lost three straight games for the first time this postseason. (They had only one three-game losing streak in the regular season, from Jan. 22 to 27.)

Despite Devin Booker's second consecutive 40-point performance, the Suns didn't have any answers for the stellar offensive showing from Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo on Saturday.

Here are the top moments from Game 5. 

It was a star-studded event Saturday in Phoenix.

In the first quarter, Jae Crowder got things going early for the Suns, as he shot 3-for-3 right out of the gate to build some momentum. 

For more up-to-date news on all things Suns, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

The Suns went on a 10-0 run midway through the first, ending with a huge dunk from Booker on Antetokounmpo. It was called back, but the crowd was so loud that neither star knew the play was dead. 

Booker was the star of the first quarter, scoring 11 points and adding two steals to help build an early lead for the Suns. Phoenix brought the heat with a 23-7 run to take a commanding 16-point lead headed into the second quarter.

But the Bucks were not going to lie down that easily.

Milwaukee came back in a big way in the second quarter, thanks to Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez, who led the team on a 16-3 run that decimated the Suns' double-digit lead. 

For more up-to-date news on all things Bucks, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Midway through the second, Pat Connaughton sunk a picture-perfect, 28-foot 3-pointer to knot things up at 42, and a few minutes later, Bobby Portis hit another 3 to give Milwaukee its first lead since 10:19 in the first. 

Portis continued to fight to keep the Bucks ahead, hustling for every basket as halftime approached. 

Although Milwaukee built a lead, Antetokounmpo didn't factor into it all that much. The Bucks' superstar appeared gassed on the court, despite playing only half of the second quarter, entering at the 6:14 mark. He added a mere four points in the frame. 

Instead, it was Holiday who led all scorers with 18 points for the Bucks at the break, including 14 points and seven assists in the second quarter.

The Bucks’ 43 points in the second quarter are the most by a team in any quarter of the Finals since the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers scored 49 in a first quarter against the Golden State Warriors.

With his two assists in the second, Chris Paul moved into seventh on the NBA playoffs assists leaderboard, passing Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Steve Nash.

The Bucks are the second team in NBA Finals history to lead at halftime after trailing by 15-plus after the first quarter. The Boston Celtics were the first, doing so in the 1957 Finals vs. the then-St. Louis Hawks.

In the third quarter, Middleton got things going with this stellar 3-point jumper, his third of the night. That moved him past Ray Allen (2001) for the most 3-pointers made by a Bucks player in a single postseason, with 59.

On the other side, Booker didn’t miss a bucket for six minutes straight, adding 12 points early in the third to keep the Suns within arm's reach.

Antetokounmpo made more of an impact in the third, adding eight points and two assists. 

But once again, Holiday was the star of the quarter, with seven points, four rebounds, one steal and a block on Booker for good measure. 

At the end of the third, the Bucks led 100-90. 

To start the fourth quarter, Booker and Antetokounmpo traded buckets back and forth. "The Greek Freak" made a statement, slamming home a putback less than two minutes in. 

CP3 came up with a huge field goal from distance midway through the final frame, as the Suns attempted a comeback.

But the former back-to-back MVP wasn't letting off the gas. 

Paul continued to buckle down, cutting the Bucks' lead to single digits as the final minutes approached. 

At the 1:24 mark, Booker sank a 27-foot 3-pointer, his 17th bucket of the night, making him the first Suns player with 40 points in consecutive playoff games.

With 9.8 seconds to play, it was a three-point game, but the Suns weren't able to complete their comeback.

Booker turned the ball over on this steal by Holiday, who threw it up to Giannis.

From there, Booker fouled Middleton, who made one of two free throws to extend Milwaukee's lead to 123-119, and the game ended there. 

The Bucks lead the series 3-2 ahead of Game 6, which tips at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday in Milwaukee.

For more up-to-date news on all things NBA, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app! 

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National Basketball Association

Milwaukee Bucks

Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker

Chris Paul

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Khris Middleton

Jae Crowder

Pat Connaughton

Bobby Portis

Jrue Holiday

Brook Lopez