Paul also added 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 out of 7 three-pointers. “I told myself to stay aggressive throughout the match. All the coaches say we have to play fast. I’m the old rascal who sometimes likes to slow things down, but in this series we have to play with pace,” responded the satisfied point guard.
Devin Booker had 27 points and 6 assists, Deandre Ayton 19 rebounds and 22 points. The Suns were also on target with 25 out of 26 successful free throws, where the visitors only got 9 out of 16. So that could be even better for the Bucks.
They did recover star player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who rejoined for the first time after stretching his knee last Tuesday in Game 4 against Atlanta. And the forward played as if nothing had happened: excellent defense and 17 rebounds.
Still, Phoenix handled the double MVP superbly, as it only allowed him to score 20 points in his 35 minutes of play. After the match, Antetokounmpo admitted that he felt “great” and that he thought his season was over due to the injury. But he can still play an important role.
The best Buck was Khris Middleton with 29 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. With the home team, Booker ensured a halftime score of 57-49 with 16 points. Antetokounmpo lay-up widened the gap to 7 points in the 4th quarter, but Milwaukee got no further.
The Suns have never won an NBA title, their 3rd and final finals date back to 1993. The Bucks also play a 3rd final, the previous being in 1974, which they won in 1971.
The second game of the best-of-7 series will take place again on Thursday in Phoenix.
