Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo looked in picture-perfect health and played Game 1 of the NBA Finals. And it didn’t matter one bit. The Suns have too many weapons.
The stars shined in the Valley of the Sun, and it was mostly the Phoenix cast. Chris Paul led a third-quarter demolition and was a surgeon in finishing with 32 points and nine assists in a spectacular Finals debut in which he floated in 12 of 19 shots.
Backcourt partner-in-crime Devin Booker had a scorching start and pumped in 27 points Tuesday as the Suns routed the Bucks, 118-105, at Phoenix Suns Arena.
“He’s one of those rare guys that can see the floor and he knows where all five guys should be,’’ Suns coach Monty Williams said of Paul. “He took advantage of his opportunities versus their switching defense and thankfully he made shots. Every so often he’ll look over to me and he’ll squint and I’ll know he’s wanting a play, and then I’ll call it. Before it was just me like, run this, run this, run this. Now I try my best to stay out of his way, because I know what he’s seeing.’’
Old-school center Deandre Ayton was fearsome inside and racked up 22 points and 19 rebounds. It’s the first 15-and-15 game in a Finals debut since San Antonio’s Tim Duncan against the Knicks in 1999.
Suns small-forward standout Mikal Bridges, whom the Knicks bypassed in the 2018 draft in favor of Kevin Knox, was a whirling fast-break dynamo and racked up 14 points. And for the unheralded stat of the night, the Suns hit their first 24 free throws, missing their final attempt to go 24 of 25.
The Bucks switched on most of Paul’s pick-and-rolls and wound up giving CP3 too much space.
“He was ready, he’s prepared his whole life for this,’’ Bridges said of Paul.
There were no first-ever Finals nerves for these Suns as Phoenix’s high-tempo, quick-passing attack was a joy to watch The Suns hit 10 of their first 18 shots in the franchise’s first Finals appearance since 1993. They took a 57-49 halftime lead despite Antetokounmpo being a force.
“We play a lot basketball,’’ Paul said of the Suns’ precision. “I was watching soccer today and a hockey game last night and I’m like, ‘How do they know to pass there?’ They probably think the same thing with us. We do it so often and seen every coverage we can possibly see.’’
Antetokounmpo scored 20 points with 17 rebounds in 34 minutes despite the Bucks listing him as doubtful with a hyperextended knee on the eve of the Finals and still not saying whether he’d play until 30 minutes before tipoff.
“We planned on him to play,’’ Williams said. “Just a guy like Giannis, how hard he works on his body, we figured a guy who works that hard would find a way back on the floor for the Finals. This time of year you sacrifice everything.’’
From the opening possession, it was clear the Bucks’ listing of Antetokounmpo as doubtful was a pile of rubbish. He looked as limber and athletic as ever — no signs he had suffered a hyperextended knee a week before.
No, Antetokounmpo was 100 percent, and the Suns thankfully had planned for him.
But the Suns’ offense was too snazzy and high tempo, however, for Antetokounmpo to be a difference-maker.
“I just trying to be aggressive,’’ Paul said. “The coaches talked about playing with pace. I’m an old head but in this series we have to play with pace.’’
And the fans loved every moment. Phoenix set the NBA regular-season record this season for pandemic attendance at 8,063 in May, and now their arena is completely full as the Suns moved three wins from their first title.
“It got crazy loud in one of those timeouts,’’ Paul said. “It’s exciting. It’s one win and still focused on the task at hand.’’
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the Suns’ 20 fast-break points proved the difference.
“Their transition hurts us,’’ Budenholzer said. “They got some good looks at 3s in that stretch of the third quarter. We got to be better.”
Even the Suns’ bench play looked dangerous, with unsung Cam Johnson and backup point guard Cameron Payne banging in big 3s. Each finished with 10 points.
Phoenix salted it away in the third quarter to go up as many as 20 points behind Paul’s 16-point period.
In feasting against all of the Bucks’ switching, Paul said Williams’ game plan against the Bucks’ complicated scheme was just simple.
“Coach said, ‘Go hoop, y’all know what to do,’ ’’ Paul said.
A flagrant foul by Brook Lopez on a Paul 3-point attempt started the surge. He stepped in Paul’s landing path as he drained a 3-pointer, picking up a flagrant as the Suns’ legendary point guard twisted his left ankle. It resulted in a four-point play.
Two possessions later, Bridges ripped the ball from Jrue Holiday, springing a fast break. Booker fed Bridges for the finish.
“I’m just happy because I woke up [today] saying this is just one game closer [to the title],’’ Ayton said. “I got goose bumps.’’