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The only thing that could stop Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was foul trouble.
Well, that and Milwaukee Bucks wing Khris Middleton.
Milwaukee’s unheralded All-Star scored 14 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4 in the NBA Finals, including 10 straight in the final 2:07, to overcome Booker’s remarkable performance in a wild 109-103 Bucks win that tied the series, 2-2. Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday in Phoenix at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
Booker scored 38 of his 42 points through three quarters and committed his fifth foul 1:10 into the fourth quarter. He was ablaze, and the Suns were in the driver’s seat to seize control of the series. Cameron Johnson‘s 3-pointer less than minute earlier had given Phoenix an 85-76 edge that put the lid back on Fiserv Forum, but coach Monty Williams opted to sideline his rising star for risk of losing him for the night.
By the time Booker checked back into the game with 5:55 remaining, a Middleton layup cut the deficit to 93-90, and the arena was rocking. Booker actually should have fouled out on Bucks guard Jrue Holiday’s failed breakaway layup attempt two minutes into his return, but the officials swallowed their whistles, and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s put-back drew Milwaukee within a point, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
Wednesday’s game was filled with crushing mistakes from its most notable players, including Chris Paul, who finished with an equal number of turnovers and made field goals on a brutal night, but for every head-scratching play there was a head-turning highlight. None were more impressive than Antetokounmpo’s block of Booker’s alley-oop attempt to DeAndre Ayton that preserved a 101-99 Bucks lead with 1:14 left.
Check back soon for more details.
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Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
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