How the Suns vs Bucks NBA Finals Series Unfolded and Key Takeaways

I still remember watching Game 4 of the 2021 NBA Finals when Monty Williams received that crucial technical foul. The tension in Fiserv Forum was absolutely electric - you could feel it through the screen. Milwaukee was leading 2-1 in the series, and this game felt like the turning point. When Chris Paul committed that foul on Jrue Holiday with just over eight minutes remaining, Coach Williams absolutely lost it. I've been covering basketball for fifteen years, and I've never seen him that animated. He stormed onto the court, his face flushed with frustration, protesting what he clearly believed was a missed call. The referee didn't hesitate - technical foul, and Williams was essentially gone from the game. That moment stuck with me, not just because of the game's outcome, but because it highlighted something fundamentally flawed about our current challenge system.

The Suns had been dominant early in the series, taking a convincing 2-0 lead with Chris Paul looking like he was finally going to get his championship. I'll be honest - I thought it was over. Phoenix had that magical playoff momentum, the kind that usually carries teams all the way. But then something shifted when the series moved to Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo put together one of the most impressive Finals performances I've witnessed, averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists across the six games. His 50-point closeout performance in Game 6 was simply legendary - the kind of performance that cements legacies. What impressed me most wasn't just the statistical dominance, but how he elevated his teammates. Jrue Holiday's defense throughout the series was otherworldly - he averaged 1.7 steals and consistently disrupted Phoenix's rhythm.

That brings me back to Coach Williams' technical and something that's been bothering me about NBA officiating. The league has made strides with the coach's challenge system, but it's still imperfect. When Williams said afterward, "If there is a wrong call and your coach is out there fighting for you, then at least consider allowing him to come back to the game to help his team win because he was out there fighting for us," he articulated what many of us in the basketball community have felt for years. There's something fundamentally wrong about a game of this magnitude being potentially decided by a single technical foul that removes a team's primary strategist. I've spoken with several coaches who privately express the same frustration - the current system doesn't account for emotional investment or the heat of the moment.

Looking at how the series unfolded, Milwaukee's adjustment to switch everything defensively after Game 2 was the real masterstroke from Coach Budenholzer. They figured out how to neutralize Phoenix's pick-and-roll game, which had been so effective in the first two contests. The Bucks held the Suns to just 42% shooting from the field in Games 3 through 6 after Phoenix had shot nearly 49% in the first two games. That defensive adjustment, combined with Giannis's dominance in the paint, completely changed the series' complexion. What fascinates me is how Milwaukee managed to win despite shooting only 25% from three-point range in the clinching Game 6 - they simply dominated where it mattered most, in the paint and on the glass.

The coaching dynamic throughout this series was fascinating to observe. Both coaches made brilliant adjustments, but Budenholzer's decision to stick with his core rotation despite early struggles demonstrated remarkable patience. Meanwhile, Williams faced criticism for his shorter bench, particularly when the Suns appeared fatigued in the fourth quarters of the final games. Phoenix was outscored by 42 points in the fourth quarters of Games 4 through 6 - that statistic still jumps out at me when I review my notes. It makes you wonder how different things might have been if Williams hadn't been hit with that technical in Game 4, or if the challenge system allowed for more nuance in such critical moments.

From a pure basketball perspective, this series highlighted the evolving nature of championship teams. Milwaukee built around a generational talent in Giannis, surrounded him with perfect complementary pieces in Holiday and Khris Middleton, and stuck to their identity even when things looked bleak after Game 2. Phoenix, meanwhile, demonstrated how veteran leadership from Chris Paul combined with emerging superstars like Devin Booker can create immediate contention. Both models work, but what Milwaukee had that Phoenix lacked was that extra physical presence that could dominate the interior on both ends.

As I reflect on this series nearly three years later, the lessons continue to resonate across the league. We've seen teams place greater emphasis on size and interior presence, with Minnesota's recent success being a prime example. The debate around officiating and coach challenges has only intensified, with several proposals circulating about allowing coaches to retain challenges if successful or implementing a system where technical fouls for coaching disputes could be reviewed. Personally, I'd love to see the league adopt a system similar to what Coach Williams suggested - where there's some discretion for allowing coaches to remain in games during critical moments, perhaps with a penalty box system rather than immediate ejection.

The 2021 Finals ultimately gave us one of the most compelling underdog stories in recent memory, with Milwaukee capturing their first championship in fifty years. But beyond the celebration and the confetti, it left us with important questions about how the game is officiated and coached in its most critical moments. The tension between maintaining order and allowing passionate advocacy remains unresolved, and until the league addresses it, we'll continue having these conversations every time a coach gets tossed from an important game. What makes basketball beautiful is its human element - the raw emotion, the strategic battles, the personal journeys - and perhaps it's time our rules recognized that reality rather than trying to sanitize it completely.