Suns Win Game 1 of the NBA Finals
- Matt Elvy
- Jul 7, 2021
- 3 min read
Playing at home in their 1st NBA Finals appearance in 28 years, the Phoenix Suns did not disappoint, showing poise and remaining in control for the whole game. They were not fazed by the huge spotlight that shines on them, as the whole basketball world watches. Although Jae Crowder is the only player on either team to have seen the Finals before, you wouldn't have known it watching the Suns play.
All 3 of our key guys had big performances in their Finals debuts (still feels crazy that this is CP3's 1st appearance). Chris Paul lead the way with 32 points and 9 assists, shooting a hugely impressive 12/19 from the field.
The Bucks made the mistake all game of switching on their pick and roll defence, allowing Paul to go to work, breaking down Milwaukee's defenders. In the 3rd quarter he had 2 straight possessions where he simply embarrassed Bobby Portis. You can view them here and here. He also hit a 3, assisted by Booker on the play just before this. The 3rd quarter was huge for Paul, he just took over, shooting 6 of 7, including 3 of 3 from 3, totalling 16 points.
Speaking of big nights, it was a historic one for Deandre Ayton. He had 22 points and 19 rebounds, shooting 8 of 10 from the field. Ayton is only the 2nd player in NBA history to register 20+ points, 15+ rebounds and over 70% shooting. The other? Arguably the best center ever, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
DA is also the 1st player with 15+ points and 15+ rebounds in their Finals debut since Tim Duncan in 1999.
I'm not suggesting Ayton will ever have a career comparable to these 2 greats, but that is great company to be a part of.
Booker put up some big numbers as well, with 27 points, 6 assists and 3 steals in this Finals debut. He didn't shoot great from the field or 3 (although you can ignore 2 of the 3's, as they were end of quarter, half court heaves), but he made his way to the free throw line all game, attempting and making 10 from the line.
Another guy who had a great game, although it won't show in the box score, was Jae Crowder. He struggled shooting the ball, but he was incredible on the defensive end, blocking Giannis and knocking the ball away from Middleton and pulled in 9 rebounds.
Speaking of Giannis, he was a game time decision and definitely wasn't himself, which is to be expected coming back from a hyperextended knee after only a week off. The Suns game planned for him and everyone seemed to stick to the scouting report. Even Cam Johnson was able to hold his own in the win.
Cam has been one of the unsung heroes of the Suns' Playoff run and he continued his string of strong games here with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 3-pointers.
As you can see in the Game Flow from Viziball the game was quite one-sided:
Now on to game 2, once again in Phoenix, where we'll look to gain a 2-0 lead for the 3rd time in these Playoffs. As pointed out by The And1 Podcast, the Suns have history on their side:
Thank you for reading. Please like, comment below what you think and share on social media.
To make sure you never miss a post, you can also subscribe to us.
You can also use the code 'SUNSFANSUK' on The Throwback Store to receive a 10% discount on any order you make.
Comments