Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Khris Middleton scored 40 points, the Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 109-103 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals (www.NBA.com), tying the best-of-seven series at 2-2. After struggling in Game 3, Suns guard Devin Booker exploded with 42 points, but could not turn the tide down the stretch. It is now a best-of-three series which moves back to Phoenix for Game 5 on Saturday night, LIVE on ESPN at 3:00 a.m. CAT on Sunday morning.
Download document (1): Postgame Booker and Paul (https://bit.ly/3xGXUcV)
Download document (2): Postgame Giannis (https://bit.ly/3yYZQOj)
Download document (3): Postgame Middleton and Connaughton (https://bit.ly/2TgrqaG)
Download document (4): Postgame Mike Budenholzer (https://bit.ly/3wJNoQZ)
Download document (5): Postgame Monty Williams (https://bit.ly/3rcKh31)
Please see the postgame transcripts attached and highlights below.
Postgame Quotes:
KHRIS MIDDLETON (BUCKS): “Just the energy. I've been playing in this building for two years now. A lot of shots. I guess I've got to get some extra shots in Phoenix and whatnot. But just got to find a way to knock down shots when I'm on the road. It's been tough for me all postseason long. Just got to find a way.”
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO (BUCKS): “Tough game. Tough game. It wasn't a pretty game, but we grinded through. They played really good, really good. You have to give them credit. But as I said, three minutes before in the timeout in my head, I'm like, you've got to keep making plays; right now, it's how bad do you want it? If they go up 3-1, it's a whole different ballgame. I feel like it was just emotions. Sometimes I block shots and I run the other way, but I think there was so much emotions into me and I tried to enjoy that moment. And there's sometimes that you have a block, you have a three, whatever, run to the other end. But for me, the way I play, the way I want to play moving forward, I want to enjoy every single moment. That was a moment that I felt like our team was turning it around and we were getting momentum and Khris was hitting big shots. It felt good.”
DEVIN BOOKER (SUNS) ON HIS 42-POINT NIGHT: “It doesn't matter at all. I said that after last game too, when I struggled shooting it. The main objective is to win the game. So anything that goes on throughout the game, it doesn't matter, for real.”
CHRIS PAUL (SUNS): “You can't just bank on the fact that you got home court, you got to go out there and play the game. You got to go out there and execute, so we'll do that, we'll do that. We tend to respond well but it's easy. We know what we got to do, we know what we got to do. Be better.”
MIKE BUDENHOLZER (BUCKS HEAD COACH): “Yeah, I think this is kind of a mental toughness win for us. I think both teams are scrapping. I thought Jrue made several winning plays late — the steal, I thought he came up with a big defensive rebound in traffic and I thought he came up with a big offensive rebound. So I think for him just to stick with it, the mental toughness that you mentioned, that's how he's built. He's a winner, and he made a lot of winning plays those last three or four minutes.”
MONTY WILLIAMS (SUNS HEAD COACH): “It's huge and it's not just Giannis, it's all of their guys. I mean first play of the game the other night, we talked about it the other day, like Jrue gets a corner three. We didn't have the heightened awareness in that environment, for sure. We talked about it for two days. They're a pace team as well.”
For postgame media availability, please click on the links below:
Suns media availability (https://bit.ly/3kmvUaE) Bucks media availability (https://bit.ly/3khQ7yx) Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
