NBA Finals: Chris Paul, Suns take Game 1 against Bucks
Chris Paul had a game-high 32 points in his first NBA Finals game to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 118-105 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. With the win, the Suns took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 19 rebounds, Devin Booker had 27 points and the Suns gained their series lead with a 17-11 close to the fourth quarter after the Bucks cut the deficit to seven. Paul scored 16 of his points in the third, including three 3-pointers.
“When he’s in that mode, we just feed off of that,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I don’t have a marker or a segment of the game where I’m like ‘here he goes.’ It just happens, and our guys feed off of those moments.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a hyperextended left knee to play for the first time since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on June 29, finishing with 20 points and 17 rebounds.
The Suns entered as slight betting favorites in the series. Game 2 is Thursday in Phoenix.
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Describing the scene in Phoenix
Anthony Slater, NBA staff writer: Frantic (and a bit drunk) inside the arena. I've covered an NBA Finals game in four other arenas ― Oklahoma City, Golden State, Cleveland and Toronto. This crowd was just as loud and locked in for 48 minutes as any of the others and those all came pre-pandemic.
The city is alive right now. There are "Rally The Valley" signs and shirts all over the area. Uber drivers are reminiscing about the Charles Barkley and Tom Chambers days. Nobody seemed to care much about the Suns in recent years. That's all anyone is talking about right now down here. You can feel it every hour of the day and this crowd had an impact in Game 1.
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The key to Ayton's success
Jovan Buha, NBA staff writer: The key to Ayton's success is he never stops moving ― on either end. His motor is incredible. His screening, rolling, slipping and cutting is a nightmare for opposing defenses to contain, especially when he's flanked with two stellar passers in Paul and Booker. Add in his size, length and athleticism, and he's emerged as one of the best finishers in the game this postseason.
Defensively, Ayton has made great strides, handling anyone from Antetokounmpo to Brook Lopez to P.J. Tucker in Game 1. He's a beast on the glass, too. This postseason has cemented Ayton as the third leg of the Suns' big three.
What adjustments do the Bucks need to make?
Eric Nehm, Bucks beat writer: The Bucks need to figure out their pick-and-roll defense. They tried to switch, one through five, in Game 1 and it did not work. Paul dissected the Bucks' defense in the third quarter, making six of his seven shots and adding two assists in two periods. Booker took advantage of the Bucks in the first half with his pump fake and got to the free-throw line eight times as well.
The Bucks tried a small-ball unit with Antetokounmpo at the five in the second half and that might be a look the Bucks can use more going forward.
(Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein / NBAE via Getty Images)
