Khris Middleton scored 40 points as Milwaukee Bucks beat Phoenix Suns 109-103 to level the best-of-seven NBA Finals series at two games each.
Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a nine-point deficit when Middleton scored 10 consecutive points in the final quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points and made a crucial block on Phoenix Suns’ centre, Deandre Ayton to keep Milwaukee Bucks ahead with one minute, 15 seconds left.
The teams meet in the fifth game of the series on Sunday.
Phoenix Suns’ shooting guard, Devin Booker scored 42 points, including 18 in the third quarter, but it was not enough to stop Milwaukee Bucks from sealing a crucial win.
Antetokounmpo, who played down comparison to Michael Jordan after becoming only the sixth player in NBA Finals history to score 40 points in consecutive games, registered 26 points including 14 rebounds for the Milwaukee Bucks, along with eight assists, but it was his sensational block on Ayton that proved the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year’s most telling contribution.
The result effectively leaves the series as a best-of-three shootout for the championship.
Milwaukee Bucks won their only title in 1971, while Phoenix Suns have yet to win a title since joining the league in 1968.
