The return of Giannis Antetokounmpo did not prevent the Suns from maintaining their good habits. As always during these 2021 play-offs, Phoenix won the first game of the series (118-105), played it is true at home.
It was the major uncertainty of this final. Was Antetokounmpo going to be able to be aligned? The suspense lasted until a few minutes before the meeting. The “Greek Freak”, despite his one-knee hyperextension against Atlanta, got off to a good start. Welcome gift from the warm Phoenix crowd, a noisy tally on his first two free throws (it took him twelve seconds). Even a good shooter would have struggled in this atmosphere. The double MVP only came in one in two.
Chris Paul well supported
After his first point at the start of the second quarter – a free throw -, the leader let go of the horses assisted by a Devin Booker, more clumsy than his 27 points (8/21) suggest, and a Deandre Ayton still also essential in the current success of the franchise (22 points, 19 rebounds). Finally, it was Jae Crowder, the only player from both teams to have already participated in a final (with Miami last year), who disappointed (1 point, 0/8 shooting).
At halftime (57-49), the Bucks could still believe in their chances, even if their number 34 was obviously not 100% (20 points, 17 rebounds in 35 minutes). Khris Middleton (29 points but 5 ball losses) and Brook Lopez (17 points, 6 rebounds) held their rank.
In front of a full room and not often hidden
Paul was in charge of destroying all forms of hope, lining up the baskets and giving himself a playground dribble on Bobby Portis, followed by a drive with feigned gaze and layup. Enough to launch a little “Rally Towel Time” in the Talking Stick Resort Arena. In American, it sounds a little better than our “spin the towels” -. Orange towels and distributed to each spectator of a full room and not always masked.
As on the Milwaukee side, we have multiplied the bad choices, like a Jrue Holiday in difficulty (10 points at 4/14, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 ball losses), the lead reached 20 points two minutes from the end of the quarter.
Perhaps a little too relaxed, the Suns let their opponents come back gradually in the last period. Except that Paul, again him, calmed the men of Wisconsin at the same time as he enchanted his fans, thanks to a +1 obtained on an Antetokounmpo fault, on the ground, as a symbol. CP3 finished with 32 points at 12/19, 9 assists, becoming the first player with more than 30 points and 8 assists in the first game of a final since Michael Jordan in 1991.
Game 2 in the night from Thursday to Friday
On the big screen, we saw a fan showing the hair of his belly, shaved to make appear “Suns in 4” (victory of the Suns in four matches, expression in vogue in Phoenix since the viral video of a brawl in the stands between a Suns fan and one from Denver). No need to take the mower out for the moment. The sweep remains possible.
Game two will take place on the night of Thursday through Friday, still in Arizona.
.
