New York (AFP)

Phoenix repelled the onslaught of a revengeful Milwaukee on Thursday to win a second time at home (118-108) in this NBA championship final, despite a molten Giannis Antetokounmpo (42 pts).

After struggling at the start of the meeting, the Suns gradually regained the ascendancy before the break, not to release their grip, despite the Bucks' multiple attempts to return.

Except for a few minutes at the start of the match, Milwaukee never gave the impression of being able to impose his basketball, displaying a certain resignation that recalled that of Game 1 and which can only worry for the rest of the series.

The best of seven innings (first team to four wins) of the North American Basketball League NBA will now move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the next two games.

Criticized for their defensive choices in the first game, the Bucks had yet approached this second round with a completely revised defensive plan.

Decided not to be trampled by Chris Paul and Devin Booker at mid-distance, like Tuesday, the visitors crisscrossed the racket and its surroundings, depriving Phoenix of the slightest 2-point shot in the first quarter.

Mute closely, the Suns only managed to exist at three points, to the point of trying their luck 14 times during the first 12 minutes, with a great success (8 converted shots).

In attack, the Bucks had also upset their patterns of play and expressed themselves aggressively, near the basket, when many had criticized them for a lack of bite in Game 1.

This strategy was based, unsurprisingly, on the slaughter of Giannis Antetokounmpo, author of three dunks in the first quarter.

- Chris Paul, the maestro -

But Milwaukee's good vibes would quickly evaporate and Phoenix regained a two-point foothold, even as the Bucks stalled in attack, Khris Middleton (2/10 before the break) and Jrue Holiday (3/14) left. resigning to their outside fire, without success.

As in the first game, the Suns, carried by their audience, nibbled on the ground, to arrive at the break with the largest gap in the first half (56-45).

Back from the locker room, it took an almost unstoppable Antetokounmpo, author of 20 points (5/6) in the only third quarter, to prevent the Bucks from winning.

The best player in the league in 2019 and 2020 scored 30 points in total in the second half (7/12 on shots) and caused a lot of fouls.

But this Suns team, which was not even in the play-offs last year, shone under the influence of Chris Paul (23 pts and 8 assists).

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Often with subscribers absent in major meetings, number three has once again played just since the start of these play-offs, as a maestro with devilish inspirations, finding the spaces for him and his teammates.

In the second half, the leader was assisted by Devin Booker (31 pts over the whole match), much more impactful than before the break, and winger Mikal Bridges (27 pts), effective at all distances .

"Every game is a seventh game (the decisive game in a series when the two teams are tied 3-3) at this point in the season," Devin Booker told ABC after the game.

"We're locked on the lens."

After a final close (-6) 5 minutes from the end of regulation time, Milwaukee ended up giving up, unable to find a real reinforcement in Antetokounmpo.

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