There’s an old saying about the playoffs that warns, “you are never in trouble until you lose at home.”

Through the first four games of the Finals, the Suns and Bucks traded punches on their home courts.  The Suns ran wild in Games 1 and 2 – the Bucks imposed their will in Milwaukee the next two contests.

Phoenix was the first team to flinch, dropping a closely contested Game 5, 123-119 on Saturday night.

Suns shooting guard Devin Booker did his part — following up his 42 points in game 4 with a 40-point effort.

But it was the combination of the Bucks’ Trio, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holliday, and Khris Middleton that combined for 88 points to secure the win.

“We came out and did what we intended to do…get off to a great start – and we let it go,” Booker said during his YouTube TV postgame press conference.  “They stayed resilient and they kept playing through…a tough loss for us.”

The difference in offensive rebounds continued to be problematic for the Suns as the bigger Bucks lineup secured 11 to Phoenix’s eight.

Phoenix came out of the chute for Game 5 like a raging bull, scoring eleven straight buckets through the first quarter. Booker was responsible for much of the Suns scoring, with eleven first-quarter points on 5-9 shooting, destroying the Bucks in a mid-range battle. Jae Crowder spaced the floor with three 3’s, keeping the Suns rolling from everywhere.

However, Booker cooled down in the second quarter, scoring only four points. Bucks shooting guard Jrue Holiday was problematic for the Suns, scoring 18 points on 8-11 shooting. His performance would allow the Bucks to outscore the Suns 43-24 in the quarter and go into halftime ahead by three.

Booker went 5-5, with ten points through the first half of the third quarter, and single-handedly keeping the Suns within striking distance of the Bucks.  However, consistent buckets from the Bucks offense gave them a 13-point lead at one point, allowing them to cruise to a ten-point lead by the end of the quarter.

The Suns continued to claw their way back, getting a key stop here and a crucial basket there. Near the end of the game, they would go on a 12-3 run, getting back to within a point.

But another crucial turnover, this time from Booker, would allow for the Bucks to secure a four-point lead and hold on for the win.

Phoenix can force a deciding Game 7 at Phoenix Suns Arena with a win Tuesday night.  Live Game 6 coverage begins at 9:00 ET, from Fiserv Forum, in Milwaukee.