JRT POST

The Spurs won the NBA championship by playing in the 2013-14 season “Beautiful game.” The San Antonio Spurs cut their opponents into pieces with perfect cuts, screens and passes throughout the season, which made basketball purists burst into tears.

No team can match the offensive talent of Gregg Popovich’s team, but in a possession in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the Suns looked like the Spurs.

more: The best highlights of Game 2 of the NBA Finals

Look at Phoenix’s 118-108 victory over Milwaukee in the second quarter, which gave the Suns a 2-0 lead in the series.

What an incredible sequence. The Suns completed a total of 10 passes in this possession. Every Phoenix player on the field (Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jack Lauder and Deandre Ayton) ) Touch the ball at least once. Four players touch the ball at least twice.

“We have a saying for our team, from good to great,” Paul said when asked about the game after the second game. “We give up good shots to get good shots. This is the selflessness of our team. Any coach in the United States, I’m sure they would be happy to show the clip to their team, and [Ayton] Finally ended. “

Let’s break it down and explain why the Bucks are particularly busy covering this five-man unit.

First, Paul pushed the ball to the floor and sucked several Milwaukee defenders into the paint, forcing them to help and restore the remaining possession of the ball. Paul found Booker flying to his right elbow and Booker kicked out Crowder. When the ball passed from Crowder to Bridges, Bridges seemed to throw a corner three-pointer-but as Paul said, “from good to good.”

Bridges used a false head to make PJ Tucker fly, and Claude moved to the other side of the floor. Paul vacated the corner, again, this is a potential corner three-pointer. But Paul realized that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jue Holiday were both approaching him, so he passed the ball to Crowder. (Important note: Brother Antetokounmpo is now on Paul.)

Then Crowder passed to Booker, who used three shooters on the outside to isolate him from Ayton on the left. After failing to foul Tucker, Booker passed the ball back to Claude. Claude almost turned the ball over, but he recovered and hit Bridges, who cut behind Booker.

Bridges realized that his guard Pat Connaughton had peeled him off to cover Booker, giving him the space he needed.

The holiday approaching Bridges opened Ayton’s eyes. Remember when Antetokounmpo took over Paul? Well, this means that the Bucks have zero rim protection.

Tucker is simply not enough to challenge Ayton. This is a bucket, plus fouls.

The Suns’ starting lineup is difficult to defend because, like the Spurs, there are no weak links in any position. Although the Bucks are mainly focused on stopping Paul and Booker, they must respect Bridges and Crowder’s shots. They can’t ignore Ayton, he has been a great finisher throughout the playoffs.

But this is not just a technique. The Suns have a good sense of when the ball needs to be kept moving and how to keep the proper spacing.

“Just chemistry, trust, trust your brother, trust your teammates,” Booker said. “We actually talked about that game immediately after the game. Me and Mikal, he was like,’I think this is the most exciting time for me after the game.’ I thought, “Me too. Same here. “So, when you play like this, it’s fun. It’s fun, everyone is touching it, and you feel the energy of the ball.

“When you get it, you want to perform for others, and when it pops up and moves like that, something will always open.”

If the Suns’ offense continues to operate like this, Phoenix will soon have more in common with the Spurs.