From Boston to OKC and Now Houston Travis Singleton Is Well Traveled As His Passion For Sneakers Has Opened Doors | No Deadstock

From Boston to OKC and Now Houston Travis Singleton Is Well Traveled As His Passion For Sneakers Has Opened Doors | No Deadstock

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by | Jul 23, 2021 | Featured

How can a name define you? Your name within itself can help people understand the person you are or it can define the business you run. A name could make separate your business from all competition and living in the minds of the people that were there with you from the start or just recognizing your talent. For Travis Singleton, the name of Sneaker Reporter defines both his passion for basketball sneakers and telling the bigger story championing the athletes we all know and love.

Sneaker Reporter came from the judgment and even laughed from other reports in suits and ties that may not have taken you seriously. However, the ability to stick out among all other reporters, while wearing casual clothing and sneakers to express yourself had NBA Athlete noticing, and while it was great to speak to someone about basketball sneakers Travis takes pride in his chosen profession. Keep the main thing the main thing which is reporting on the games of basketball.

His passion for reporting a story and speaking to guys that other big companies see as an afterthought help him build a relationship with Paul George prior to his time in Oklahoma City, and his interview with the team best defender at the time André Roberson were the two talked for 30-minute about everything from sneakers to what he wanted to do during his career would eventually land him a position to cover the team for the next few years before taking a new opportunity with the Houston Rockets.

As a kid from Dorchester who would’ve believed that his passion for having the illest sneakers would lead to this journey of seeing Russell Westbrook win an MVP, being featured on NBA 2k, and creating a foundation that’s focused on giving away free sneakers to children in the community in exchange for kids making the honor roll in school under the name Kicks for Grades.

Because of everything that he has done through his passion for sneakers is why I’ve decided to spotlight the creator/Editor and Chief of Sneaker Reporter.com on this week’s installment of No Deadstock and as an added bonus below is a video of our interview in its entirety.

How was your time in high school your introduction into/love for sneaker culture

Being in that whole culture, that whole vibe everybody at school had the crazy heat. Once I went to high school I was like wait a minute, hold up I need to get on this Jordan wave, there’s a whole other level of sneakerheads that I need to join. I started realizing all the cool kids had the illest Jordans whether it be Jordan 13’s, 10’s, 12’s whatever it may be at the time…There was a whole bunch of people at high school that put me on so I was like man I want to join this wave…Seeing the culture, this is back when Jordans would come out on Wednesdays, so kids would be skipping school just to get the Jordans and come to school with the new J’s that just dropped I just loved that culture. It felt like a lot of the people that had swagger and were popular, and when I got my first job at Wal-Greens I was like “Oh It’s over.”

So be able to ask questions about sneakers pre-game, but still, ask the questions people might not be willing to ask post-game. Did that earn you respect amongst your peers in the media? 

I feel like it did over time, I was trying to fit the mold wearing a suit and tie combination with dress shoes, but a lot of the older heads (OG)in the sports journalist community were like that kind of ain’t you type thing. Just be yourself, you’ll find your niche just be patient. After talking to a lot of people in the Boston Media they were like why don’t you wear sneakers and casual clothing. You could be the “Sneaker Reporter,” be able to twist two things into one, so that how the name came about. I feel like a lot of people started to respect me when I started asking questions about the sneaker community but at the same time going viral with in-game stuff too. I would ask KD (Kevin Durant) about the KD 7 way in advance while the KD 6 and get everything on that. While at the end of the game I would talk to him about how great he was that game and what he could’ve done better. Then he praises Greg Popovich and that goes viral and that just one night where sneaker stuff goes viral and at the same time, the in-game stuff goes viral as well. That was always my envision to make sure I’ve got people that can be versatile, you don’t have to stay in one lane and talk about the sneakers whatever on your mind you can express yourself. I feel now I’ve gained the respect of my peers but I always feel like there’s room for improvement and I’ve got to continue to get better because I’ve got you guys looking at what I’m doing, a little sister looking at what I’m doing so I’ve got to continue to put my foot on that gas and try to get to that next level no matter what it is. 

So how did the partnership between New Balance and Yourself come about?

I wouldn’t call it a partnership yet were still growing, I would call it mutual respect. In Boston, all you would see is older/ mature people running around the park. Nobody was rocking New Balance like that but they definitely grow on me over time especially with the Omini Ones that caught my attention. That a shoe that came out of nowhere and I was like I could rock with this. I think it was a situation of the rebuild/rebrand of their basketball department I thought was just dope. I definitely have to support them because they’re a Boston-based brand and see what they’ve done and gone forward I would definitely want to get a collab with them if I can. My ultimate goal is to be the first reporter that got his own collab, I think that would separate me and take me to that next level. At the end of the day, there’s only one Sneaker Reporter. 

So would you say his one of the reasons for your opportunity with the Thunder? Tell me about that leap of faith to contact the Thunder for this opportunity.

It was just a vibe. I was still covering the Celtics when I went out there but at the same time the vibe with the whole Oklahoma City it was there. There were like “Oklahoma City missing something like what you do somebody who can give you the best of both worlds, it would be dope if you could come out here.”  So I reached out after doing my due diligence to see if I could make it happen and the Thunder welcomed me with open arms. It was just love from the jump, sometime you got to leave home in order to get the notary that you deserve or get that opportunity. When I went there it was all love, It felt like that whole Oklahoma move really made sense because I had people there I knew from networking over the years. I think that Andre Robinson’s interview definitely helped out as well. I was already comfortable with him and he ended up becoming one of my bros, someone I could just talk to and lean on. It’s just deeper than basketball at the end of the day and I cherish those moments. When I cover people, I’m covering you but I’m supporting you at the same time because a lot of journalists take about the game and not what they’ve (the players) got going on outside the game. Fundraisers, different charities, whatever it may be that’s the aspect I’m trying to bring too. I’m supporting another brother out here… When a player knows your supporting them inside and outside the arena the sky’s the limit from there because you’ve got that mutual respect. 

So what was that conversation with Ronnie 2k like?

It’s weird because the director hit me and was like, “Just tell Ronnie this is who you are, I’m a tell him who you are.” And it kind of just got done, now I’ll reach out to Ronnie to check up on him, I’ll have a small conversation with him over time but it was never a big conversation… it just got done, I don’t know how to describe it but I’m appreciative of my boy Alex he definitely put me in the position. I remember when I first saw myself in 2k, I called my Mom and I cried. That feeling was deeper than the game. It’s so crazy going from playing it to being in the game it was a special feeling and nothing I would ever change man when I saw it was definitely surreal.

For those kids who may not be able to get the most hyped kicks due to whatever reason, what is your hope the Kicks for Grades program will impact the lives of its participants?

It’s all about motivation and a little bit of jealously, if you don’t get picked you’ll be like I’m going keep these grades and I’m a win next year. On top of that, you get jealous when you see some of your peers win and you’re like man I could’ve had those if my grades were better. So it encourages and motivates in a good way… So I think it’s all about just encouraging them and motivating them that anything is possible. These kids are the leaders of tomorrow, just being in a position to make sure the kids are taken care of  I think that’s a big deal.  So we’re going to continue to keep it going, it’s all about motivating those kids to continue to get those good grades. Yeah, you get rewarded but at the same time, there going to be rewarded for life with the education and knowledge they get.   

Jul 23, 2021 No Comments
That Forever Dog You Can Count On; Turner & Hooch Episode 1 Review “Forever and A Dog”

That Forever Dog You Can Count On; Turner & Hooch Episode 1 Review “Forever and A Dog”

Celebs

by | Jul 21, 2021 | Celebs, Featured

When a US Marshal inherits an unruly dog he finds his new pet is the key to his biggest case yet.

Scott Turner (Josh Peck) an ambitious, buttoned-up rookie US Marshal eager to make an impression on the force is the son of Detective Scott Turner portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1989 film of the same name. Turner’s father hoped to leave his sleepy California town and work in the big city, until solving the murder case of his friend Amos Reed (John McIntire) with the help of a French Mastiff named Hooch.

This series follows a case of the week type format, the series has an overarching mystery, to a case that Scott’s father was working on before his passing, it’s decent. There should be twists and turns as Scott and Laura set out to find answers to their most burning questions.

In the series premiere episode “Forever and a Dog,”  Turner and his partner Jessica Baxter (Carra Patterson) are assigned to the protection of Larry Gluck (Ryan Beil), a men part of a bank robbery crew who hit 22 banks in 2019. The FBI convinced Gluck to take the stand in court against the others involved. This seems to be a clear-cut assignment for the two of them with a 24-hour security detail until the trial.

Scott’s world is turned upside down after his sister Laura Turner (Lyndsy Fonseca) leaves their father’s dog who embodied the spirit of the old Hooch. Scott did not want to take on Hooch, and it’s not surprising. He’s at a pivotal stage of his career, trying to come to terms with the loss of his father and the breakdown of his relationship with his girlfriend. The death of his father seemed clean cut at the beginning of the premiere, but it’s clear there is much more to the story than meets the eye.

The next day the motel that was hiding out in gets hit and he is captured Turner happened to be on his way and as luck would saw the suspects and the high-speed chase began. After following the vehicle to an ally after the shoot out Hooch barked to warn Turner of the danger of approaching the vehicle that was rigged to explode, this was one hint into Hooches training thanks to Turner Sr.

TURNER & HOOCH - "Forever and a Dog" (Disney/Farah Nosh) VANESSA LENGIES, CARRA PATTERSON

Jessica Baxter introducing Erica Mounir to Scott Turner.

Unaware of this Turner mistakes this for behavioral issues and seeks the help of Erica Mounir (Vanessa Lengies), she runs the K-9 explosives detection training for the Marshal Service. After showing Scott that Hooch is properly trained her advice which is to trust the dog.

In a prior scene, Hooch was barking at the lawyer of Gluck but after seeing him a second time Hooch acted as if he didn’t want anything to do with him, it turns out Hooch was barking at FBI Agent Long who happened to be standing behind the lawyer and it turns out being behind the abduction. In order to retrieve the millions that Gluck and his crew stole in order to have a better life. this was the old trope of the good guy turning to the dark side because of all the bad things happening in their life. 

After a shootout at the ports where Gluck was being held Turner, Hooch, and Baxter were able to arrest Agent Long and his accomplices and save Gluck. Proving his worth Hooch has been given a job with Scott as part of a K-9 Unit. It will be fun to see how the dynamic continues to unfold.

TURNER & HOOCH - "Forever and a Dog" (Disney/Farah Nosh) VANESSA LENGIES, JOSH PECK

Erica showing Scott that Hooch is well trained and explaining to him that dogs act upon things that feel from people around them.

While not Disney’s first attempt at making a spin-off/follow-up television series to the   Turner & Hooch movie this is a Disney+ original series created, executive producer, and written by Matt Nix and produced by 20th Television. With reboots and revivals ruling the TV development slate over the last few years, I had reservations about a TV show sequel to Turner & Hooch. Thankfully,  Turner & Hooch’s first episode manages to forge a path that makes it a worthy follow-up to the Tom Hanks movie, while introducing fresh and exciting concepts, and of course, a lovable dog in Hooch.

Jul 21, 2021 No Comments
Kicks Through the Lens (Week 9 of Playoffs)

Kicks Through the Lens (Week 9 of Playoffs)

Featured

by | Jul 21, 2021 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

There’s a reason why our countdown has only been 5 pairs for a few weeks now. It’s just slim pickings when you only have two teams left playing and 2-3 players wearing heat on the court. Nonetheless, our Kicks Through the Lens for this week had some bangers in it. P.J. Tucker brought out a new player exclusive colorway in the Kobe 6 Protros. One Milwaukee Bucks player turned back the clock and sported some Kobe 10 Elite Highs. Tucker also rocked one of the rarest Jordan samples you’ll ever see. Scroll below to check out this week’s Top 5.

 

 

5. Nike Kobe 6 Protro P.E. – Khris Middleton

 

     

 

 

4. 2015 Nike Kobe 10 Elite High “What The” – Jeff Teague

 

     

 

 

3. Nike Kobe 6 Protro P.E. – Bobby Portis

 

     

 

 

2. Jordan XVI “Veterans Day” Sample – P.J. Tucker

 

           

 

 

1. Nike Kobe 6 Protro P.E. – P.J. Tucker

 

           

 

 

 

Jul 21, 2021 No Comments
SR – NBA Playoff Power Rankings: Week 9

SR – NBA Playoff Power Rankings: Week 9

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by | Jul 20, 2021 | Featured, NBA

In what is likely the final Power Rankings article for the 2020-21 season, it comes at a bittersweet time considering the year could end this evening with the Bucks having the opportunity to close the Phoenix Suns out at home up 3-2 in the series.

It has been a transformational series for a group of players on both teams, both good and bad, but it’s been incredibly helpful to the building of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s legacy with the way the Bucks have been able to rip away a road victory in this series after defending home court for two straight games. And conversely, it hasn’t been all too helpful for the Suns and Chris Paul, who is in imminent danger of losing a title opportunity in his first NBA Finals appearance.

These Finals have been the entire package, and of course a lot more enjoyable with a home-court presence for both teams. However, it seems that the Bucks are intent on finishing off their opponents inside the Fiserv Forum and winning their first championship in over 50 years.

And from what we’ve seen this past week, they have a probable shot at it.

The ubiquitous “Bucks in 6” proclamation made by Milwaukee legend Brandon Jennings nearly a decade ago could come true in its most significant way tonight during Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals, and should the Bucks handle their business as they have at home all postseason (9-1 at home during the playoffs), this series could end tonight.

But don’t expect the Suns to fall over and concede the series even if they’ve lost three straight games to the Bucks. For two straight games at home, this series started out with the Bucks not just on the ropes, but nearly falling out of them as it seemed that Mike Budenholzer was being outcoached and outmatched by Monty Williams’ Phoenix Suns. But as the old saying goes, a playoff series never really starts until a home team loses a series game at home, and it seems to be that a series like this can teeter in many directions once that first domino falls.

As for how those dominoes have fallen, well, we will get into that in the final Power Rankings article of the season, and the last one you’ll read until October.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Milwaukee Bucks

(46-26, Won 4-0 vs. Miami Heat in First Round, Won 4-3 vs. No. 2 Brooklyn Nets in ECSF, Won 4-2 vs. Atlanta Hawks in ECF, Up 3-2 vs. West’s No. 2 Phoenix Suns in NBA Finals, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

If you could, just for a measly second – disregard Jrue Holiday’s two-way effort in erasing Chris Paul and 61 combined points through Games 3-5, Khris Middleton’s three-game revival and rise to prominence as the best halfcourt scorer in this series, and obviously Giannis’ historical production. Look at the bench points, and more specifically the output of the second unit guys in what was probably a decisive game 5 victory inside Talking Stick Resort Arena. Those tell the story.

Many were out on Milwaukee when they lost Donte DiVincenzo in the first round of the playoffs, bench points were predicted to be hard to come by with no true scorer at point or at the two guard spot off the bench. Pat Connaughton was looked at to fil that very role, but he has succeeded in spacing the floor and using his gravity as a spot-up shooter when the paint collapses on Giannis, Jrue, or Khris Middleton. In the past three games of this series, Connaughton hasn’t dipped below 52.6 percent shooting from deep, averaging 2.75 made threes per game off an average of 6.6 attempts per game.

More impressively, take a look at Bobby Portis’ value. He and Connaughton scored a combined 23 points in Game 5’s 123-119 road win, and when Brook Lopez or Giannis weren’t there to fulfill the defensive responsibilities during their minutes of rest, the Bucks earned a kick-out shooter and reliable defender who pressured the ball and showed a body off the switch. As Chris Paul couldn’t find a way to etch his mark in the game – until the fourth quarter, that is – Budenholzer’s efficacy instilled in his men allowed for the Bucks to maintain their matchups and fluctuate towards different zone looks periodically, so much so that it was on Devin Booker (who finished Game 5 with 40 points for the second-straight game) and his 33 attempts from the field to just keep the Suns in the game.

Their gameplan to keep CP3 relatively quiet and Devin Booker overwhelmed and hyperactive worked in the grand scheme of things to grant Milwaukee the lead in this series, but now it’s largely up to them to seal the deal tonight with the same plan in place. Chris Paul has not looked good, safe to say and was vehemently outplayed by Holiday in Game 5, barring his 21 points and 11 assist with one turnover compared to Holiday’s 27 points and 13 assists with two turnovers.

While that’s caused from Jrue Holiday keeping him to only 15 shots, that hiccup made from the Bucks’ defensive tenacity could be the determinant of this series’ conclusion. Plus, Jrue’s nail help and steal on Devin Booker that finished with a lob to Giannis in the game’s final play will live on in history should the Bucks win this series.

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2. Phoenix Suns

(51-21, Won 4-2 vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers in First Round, Won 4-0 vs. No. 3 Denver Nuggets in WCSF, Won 4-2 vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers in WCF, Down 3-2 vs. East’s No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Finals, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

My my…how the turn tables.

Just a few days ago, the Phoenix Suns were riding high, licking their chops to the sounds of prognosticators fawning over their domination and otherworldly performance in what sounded like 2021’s signature feel-good story. Their defensive edge and execution, ball movement, and playmaking from first-ballot Hall of Famer Chris Paul and “Baby Kobe” Devin Booker was as pristine as a a trinket designed by Tiffany and Co., their delegation of shot attempts to role players ample. Deandre Ayton’s domination as a PnR big was too much for the Bucks to overcome as they looked nearly unbeatable at home.

And then, they got away from Talking Stick Resort Arena, into the confines and enemy lines of the Fiserv Forum. The Deer District’s roar rocked the Suns to their core, as they’ve dropped three straight games in this Finals series, their last one at home the most demoralizing of all.

Phoenix now finds themselves on the rocks as they play their first elimination game of the 2020-21 postseason tonight, and they’re still without concrete answers on how to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo as is. But now, the cavalry has arrived in Khris Middleton AND Jrue Holiday producing mightily in Milwaukee’s race to four wins?

Game 6 lives in ominous infamy in Suns history, since the last time they played in one during the NBA Finals back in the year 1993, it did not result in their favor, even if they “thought” they had the better team. It feels like yesterday (or not, a lot of people probably reading this weren’t even born during Phoenix’s Finals appearances) that the Suns battled the Chicago Bulls, failing to extend the series to seven games as Finals MVP Michael Jordan defeated season MVP Charles Barkley’s Suns in six games.

The ebb and flow of the game is determined by its players, and as Giannis is proving all of his doubters who think he isn’t contributing in a “hooper” kind of role as the team’s likeliest candidate to win Finals MVP, Phoenix is hoping history doesn’t repeat itself and allows the Bucks to celebrate their second-ever title on the Bucks’ home floor of the Fiserv Forum.

So to prevent that, the Suns cannot afford to trade bucket for bucket with the Bucks, especially in transition. There were too many times when the Suns offense got the look they wanted, only for the Milwaukee fast break to be ahead of them with mismatches aplenty at their disposal. They allowed the Bucks to score 21 points in the open court, slightly above their series average of 17.2 fastbreak points.

And when the Suns offense went stagnant, it led to a 16-point lead evaporating during a seismic 19-point Milwaukee swing before the end of the first half.

The offensive tactics for opportunities to score in the halfcourt are there, but the game is also about getting timely stops, something the Suns uncharacteristically went away from during this losing streak. They’ll need to defend at a high level to force a Game 7.

If they don’t, and fail to raise their play to the level that an elimination game requires, then the Milwaukee Bucks will be your 2020-21 NBA Champions by the end of the night.

Source: pngkey.com

Jul 20, 2021 No Comments
Kicks Through the Lens (Week 8 of Playoffs)

Kicks Through the Lens (Week 8 of Playoffs)

Featured

by | Jul 13, 2021 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

With only a week or so left of the 2020-21 NBA season our Kicks Through the Lens articles are about to wrap up until the fall. Devin Booker wanted to remind all of us this past week that he too can pull out some heat like Tucker and Galloway. It is now clear that the Kobe 4’s are most likely Booker’s favorite Bryant signature sneaker as he broke out a never-before-seen UNDFTD collab of them this past week. Tucker sported some major Oregon P.E. heat as well as a Kobe 4 of his own. Due to there only being two teams left, our Kicks Through the Lens articles for the rest of season will feature on-foot images from both practice and games. Scroll below to see who snagged our five spots this week in our countdown.

 

 

5. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Jrue Holiday

 

            

 

 

4. UNDFTD x Nike Kobe 4 Protro – P.J. Tucker

 

            

 

 

3. Nike Kobe 6 Protro P.E. – Devin Booker

 

           

 

 

2. Jordan XIII “Oregon P.E.” – P.J. Tucker

 

           

 

 

1. UNDFTD x Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Olive” – Devin Booker

 

                 

Jul 13, 2021 No Comments
SR – NBA Playoff Power Rankings: Week 8

SR – NBA Playoff Power Rankings: Week 8

Featured

by | Jul 12, 2021 | Featured, NBA

Through three Finals games, a couple of things are certainly uncertain: this series is far from over, but at the same time feel as if they’re only a few key adjustments from really being over in a sum of five to six games.

The Milwaukee Bucks seemed down and out after throwing their best punch in Game two, only to have it demoralizingly dissipate as the Suns pounced on them with ferocity during their 118-108 win to jump ahead 2-0, with only two more wins needed to capture the Franchise’s first NBA Championship.

Devin Booker mentally tweaked his game and was unfazed with Milwaukee’s activity and pesky length on defense, dropping 31 of the team’s 118 points off of a fairly efficient 12-for-25 shooting and 7-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc, and Chris Paul took over in the third and fourth quarters with another signature closeout performance, scoring 23 points and accompanying his scoring efforts with 10 assists even with Jrue Holiday in his face.

Milwaukee mostly went away from the aggressive switching plan that didn’t work out too well for them in Game 1, but two straight forgettable efforts on offense by both Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday only dampened what was a solid defensive gameplan and an all-time Finals showcase from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who not only scored 42 points off 15-for-21 shooting with 12 assists to boot (albeit, coming off a significant knee injury) but did so while singlehandedly keeping the Bucks in the game as the first player with 20+ points in a single NBA Finals quarter in the last 25 years. Antetokounmpo scored 20 points all by himself and was up to 32 points by the third’s end.

Bur for the rest of the Bucks, who entered the third quarter down by 11, they only cut into the deficit by a mere point, ending the quarter down 10. Khris Middleton struggled the entire night to get into a consistent rhythm and finished with only 11 points off 5-for-16 shooting, and the same was said for Jrue Holiday, who finished Game 2 with only 17 points off 7-for-21 shooting.

However, Game three on home soil told a different story, but not one the Suns would have particularly enjoyed listening to. Another signature Giannis Antetokounmpo masterclass was put on Sunday night, in which the two-time MVP and Defensive Player of the Year went for his second-consecutive 40+ point night and became the fourth highest-scoring player in NBA Finals history during their championship round debut as the Bucks won their first Finals game in 47 years.

But that’s a story we’ll get into during these weekly Power Rankings, where we break down the remaining teams in this year’s playoffs and who has the most salient advantages and injurious disadvantages in this Final postseason series.

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1. Milwaukee Bucks

(46-26, Won 4-0 vs. Miami Heat in First Round, Won 4-3 vs. No. 2 Brooklyn Nets in ECSF, Won 4-2 vs. Atlanta Hawks in ECF, Down 1-2 vs. West’s No. 2 Phoenix Suns in NBA Finals, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

What we’re witnessing from Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t human, in more ways than one.

When Clint Capela made his knee bend backwards during a routine drive to the rim in transition during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it seemed like every championship hope that Bucks fans had during their greatest opportunity to win a championship just faded away as he sustained that hyperextended knee (accidental) injury at the hands of the Hawks center. Until Game one of the Finals, that is. Antetokounmpo looked as explosive as he could’ve, scoring a pedestrian-yet-respectable 20 points off 6-for-11 shooting as he tried to get back to repeating the motions prior to his injury.

But best believe, as Antetokounmpo ground his teeth together and put on the affect display of a man who didn’t want to die just yet, Games two and three have been some showings of legend, that in which we likely will not see for quite some time unless he and the Bucks are back in the Finals next year.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer strategized a gameplan to put even more pressure on rising star Suns center Deandre Ayton in the halfcourt by primarily keeping Giannis at the center spot which limited the Suns’ capabilities at running their Pick and Roll sets ad nauseam atop the key, while also upping the pace both in the halfcourt and in transition, where Ayton unsuccessfully impeded the path of Antetokounmpo in Game three. Giannis continued his already legendary 2020-21 postseason with his 41 points off 13-for-21 shooting with 13 rebounds and 6 assists.

And while ethering the spirit of another dominating big man who wreaked havoc and wore purple and gold, Antetokounmpo became as he put up a second-straight stat-line of 40+ points and 12+ rebounds, joining Shaquille O’Neal in the 2000 Finals and LeBron James in the 2016 Finals.

And where Paul and Booker were unable to find daylight during the Bucks many runs to go up by as many as 25 points, Ayton was bombarded on the offensive glass and in the open court, where Milwaukee made it an emphasis to get him in foul trouble.

And from there, the Bucks busted the game open.

Phoenix losing Dario Saric may not have bruised them on the offensive end – well, maybe, if ever so slightly due to Saric’s role as a Pick and Pop Power Forward off the bench – but he presented a viable asset of height during Phoenix’s running of small lineups when Ayton sat. And with Ayton picking up four fouls before the third quarter even concluded, it gave Budenholzer’s Bucks the opportunity to gash the opening even further with running Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and PJ Tucker with Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, a lineup that has helped to produce a +7.4 net rating and a 70.0 Defensive Rating this postseason.

Lineups like this heavily assisted the Bucks on the glass as they outrebounded the Suns 47-36 though four quarters, and as a team roles from Games two and three were switched in the turnover margin, as the Suns committed a total of 15 turnovers compared to the Bucks’ nine.

And speaking of Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, the bad mojo finally wore off, and schematically, allowing two volume scorers and floor setters at the point and the two/three to dictate the pace of the offense, rather the game, by keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo on the block and as a high screener did wonders for the scoring duo who are playing in their first Finals together.

The duo monumentally improved in their scoring ability in Game three at home, and Middleton (18 points on 14 shots, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) made his impact as their venerable isolation scorer as well as a defense-bending setup man. Holiday on the other hand (21 points off 8-for-14 shooting and 5-for-10 from deep) did the same, but made sure to aggravate Chris Paul on the other end who only got up a total of 14 shots as the team’s primary scorer. And with Devin Booker struggling as he did, it just made shrinking the floor that much easier.

And again, more importantly, as Devin Booker (10 points on 21.4 percent shooting) wore what looked a to be a demure facial expression thanks to the exemplary defensive masterpiece put together by Budenholzer and his coaching staff in Sunday night’s beatdown, Phoenix realizes they’re in for a fight .

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2. Phoenix Suns

(51-21, Won 4-2 vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers in First Round, Won 4-0 vs. No. 3 Denver Nuggets in WCSF, Won 4-2 vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers in WCF, Up 2-1 vs. East’s No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Finals, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

Two straight wins over the second-best defensive team in this year’s playoffs were not flukey wins by any means, and getting hot at the right time is an attribute many teams and players would favor having on their side with the benefits getting in the zone provide for a team playing off the steam of momentum. But like all fiery runs, and a flame itself really, they cool off every now and then and decrease in volume.

Metaphorically, that was the case in Game three for the Phoenix Suns, who haven’t (yet) seen the sky fall onto their heads as they still lead the NBA Finals 2 games to 1, and adjustments permitted could be headed back to Phoenix with a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals with the opportunity to close out the series later this week and win their first title in franchise history.

But, like we explained up in the Bucks’ section, a few things will have to happen to ensure the best road team in the league this year reverberates their reputation in the second-biggest series the franchise has ever competed in:

For starters: Deandre Ayton cannot – and I repeat *cannot* – be off the floor for an entire duration of a quarter and more. There were too many times in Sunday’s contest in which Ayton’s foul trouble resorted in the Suns getting desecrated on the offensive glass by the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, PJ Tucker, Brook Lopez and others, and it largely resulted in a litany of second-chance points.

The lack of a domineering rim presence that Ayton provided which cut off nearly 2/3rds of the floor for Milwaukee in Games one and two was deliberately noticeable, and there existed a semblance of open leeway for the Bucks to get whatever they wanted during the operations of Monty Williams’ small lineups.

Offensively and defensively, the Suns could not crack the height-heavy Bucks lineups when Ayton was off of the floor during the Bucks’ 30-9 run to end the first half, and as they remained small due to their depth becoming involuntarily anemic due to some injuries and shifting of less-skilled defenders in Dario Saric’s spot to supplement the responsibilities he’d be tasked with, they paid for it with an embarrassing 20-point loss to a Bucks team that now has life. Frank Kaminsky and Cameron Johnson were the second and third options to counter the Bucks’ size in the paint, but wooden planks would’ve been more sufficient as the Bucks flowed into their PnR sets and ran a majority of their actions on the areas they stood at.

However, keep in mind: the Suns were only down three at the end of the first quarter prior to Ayton picking up his third and fourth fouls, and when that happened, Budenholzer’s Bucks did not take the opportunity for granted, employing that Portis-Antetokounmpo-Holiday-Middleton-Tucker lineup to run up the points in the paint stat column. As these playoffs go, runs are countered by runs, but even as the Suns cut it to within four with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter, the Bucks responded with a emphatic 24-6 run to close the quarter and put the game out of reach. Phoenix couldn’t score and got cold due to the tenacity on D that the Bucks displayed in a must-win game and therefore, took the tandem of Chris Paul and Devin Booker out of the equation in the second half.

Which brings us to our second point: the outside shooting, and Devin Booker, have to be better.

Granted, a lot of the Suns spacing largely revolves around the positioning of the bigs in this Phoenix offense, and the off-ball movement of every action is dependent on the ball handlers’ ability to dribble-manipulate their defender into call for more help so that the centers can receive the balls in their favorite spots, and equally have the liberty to facilitate the rock around the perimeter to find the weakside shooter.

But, for a player of his caliber who is adept at tough shot-making, it’s on Monty Williams’ onus to get Booker into his spots and stay the course so he doesn’t see a repeat of his homely Game 3 performance. PJ Tucker covered Booker for the time they did not switch their matchups, but when they did Giannis Antetokounmpo waited in the wings for him off every ball screen on the wings.

Chris Paul (team-high 19 points off 8-for-14 shooting) saw bodies off switches and the same stingy, air-tight defense that his backcourt cohort saw, but during the massive runs they gave up to Milwaukee, the Suns saw driving lanes close up faster than a Venus Fly Trap as Milwaukee responded with defensive ferocity, hard close-outs, stunts-and-recoveries, and physicality coming towards the Suns in bunches. Those all got D. Book out of whack, resulting in a 10-point, 3-for-14 disaster of a playoff performance he’d like to throw in the garbage.

Those tough jumpers he made in their home games this series didn’t go in as much as he wanted them to during the beginning of Milwaukee’s home stand, but they’ll have to in Game four if the Suns don’t want to lose their series lead to a Bucks team that feel like they have the formula to success.

Phoenix largely found success in the scoring department with a rousing outing from Cameron Johnson on the offensive end, kickstarted after a thunderous poster on PJ Tucker as the second half commenced. He went on a flaming-hot scoring streak in the third, and finished Game 3 with 14 points off 5-for-11 shooting. But he only knocked down one three as opposed to the four threes he’s made as a kickout-knockdown shooter last night. And as a team, the outside shooting shockingly cooled off, as Phoenix only hit on 9 of their 31 attempts from downtown (29 percent). That won’t cut it.

So, as game four approaches, the Suns have their work cut out for them in a game that’s transformed into a high-pressure must-win contest. They still do not have an answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who by all means will put on one of the greatest (top-5, even?) Finals performances of all-time should the Bucks see this through by getting all favorable looks in the halfcourt for him and his teammates – both by design and by his their own accords – and if Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are spotting their mismatches, consistently scoring and creating in the half-court for themselves and others…it might not be over just yet.

We could have a series on our hands, folks.

Fingers crossed.

Jul 12, 2021 No Comments