The Phoenix Suns can take another big step towards their first ever championship when they hit the hardwood on Thursday night for Game 2 of this year’s NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks as 5.5-point home favourites on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
With veteran Chris Paul leading the way, Phoenix marched to a decisive 118-105 victory in Game 1 on Tuesday, and now takes a 1-0 series lead into Thursday night’s matchup at Phoenix Suns Arena.
Absent from the NBA playoffs in each of the previous 10 seasons, the Suns have emerged as the biggest story of this year’s postseason. Winners of 51 games during the regular season, the Suns have maintained their torrid pace, posting straight-up wins in 12 of their past 14 contests. Tuesday’s victory also extends their recent domination of Milwaukee, with the Suns emerging as outright and against the spread winners in six of their past seven meetings.
Often characterized as a team without a superstar during their deepest playoff run in 28 years, the Suns have benefited from the stellar play of Chris Paul. The 36-year-old led the way in Game 1, racking up 32 points and eight assists to become the first player to score at least 30 points and eight assists in his NBA Finals debut since Michael Jordan accomplished the feat back in 1991. Paul’s Game 1 performance has also cemented his position on the NBA Finals MVP odds, where he is now set as -210 chalk.
Now facing a 1-0 series deficit for the third time in this year’s playoffs, the Bucks return to action on Thursday listed as +190 road underdogs at online betting sites. Tuesday’s loss extended what has been a shaky run for Milwaukee on the road. The team has struggled to turn in consistent efforts away from home since early April, going 11-11 SU in their past 22 overall, and have claimed victory in just three of eight road dates since the start of the second round.
That is a particularly worrisome trend considering the Bucks need at least one victory in the desert to claim their first NBA title in 50 years, and it is reflected on the NBA playoff series prices where they now sit as +240 underdogs.
The good news for Milwaukee on Tuesday was the unexpected return of Giannis Antetokounmpo from injury. Antetokounmpo had been sidelined by a knee injury since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but showed no ill effects while recording 20 points and 17 rebounds in Game 1. That marked his 13th double-double of the postseason.
