Paul carries Suns past Giannis, Bucks in NBA 決勝戦 opener
PHOENIX (AP) - Chris Paul waited 16 years to get to the NBA 決勝戦, bringing with him a team 餓死するing for its first 選手権.
The setting was 完全に new.
The 業績／成果 was same ol´ Chris Paul.
"Just knew he´s ready," 不死鳥／絶品 今後 Mikal 橋（渡しをする）s said. "He´s 用意が出来ている his whole life for this moment and it shows out there on the 法廷，裁判所."
Paul had 32 points and nine 補助装置s in an NBA 決勝戦 debut that was 井戸／弁護士席 価値（がある） the wait, Devin Booker 得点する／非難する／２０d 27 points and the Suns （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 the returning Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks 118-105 on Tuesday night in Game 1.
Paul 得点する／非難する／２０d 16 points during a sensational third ４半期/4分の1 that had 不死鳥／絶品 fans who waited 28 years to see the NBA 決勝戦 again 叫び声をあげるing in delight.
不死鳥／絶品 Suns guard Chris Paul (3) 運動s pst Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) during the second half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA 決勝戦, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in 不死鳥／絶品. (AP Photo/Matt York)
"Every time he shoots it we think it´s going in," Booker said.
It almost did in the third ４半期/4分の1, when Paul was 6 for 7 and made all three 3-pointers.
Finally playing for the 肩書を与える in his 16th season, the 星／主役にする point guard has the Suns in the NBA 決勝戦 for only the third time, and it sure looked as if they could make this ending different than the other two.
"We´ve been building all season long for these moments," Paul said. "We´re going to keep playing. This is just one game. We´ve got to stay locked in."
Deandre Ayton 追加するd 22 points and 19 回復するs to continue his breakout stretch of play in his first postseason.
Antetokounmpo had 20 points and 17 回復するs after 行方不明の two games with a hyperextended left 膝. Khris Middleton 得点する／非難する／２０d 29 points, but the Bucks will have to play from behind again after dropping Game 1 for the third straight series.
"We know it´s not going to be 平易な. We know it´s going to be 堅い," Middleton said. "There´s times where we´re going to be 負かす／撃墜する in this series. But this series isn´t over. We´re 負かす／撃墜する. We´ve still got to keep competing and just playing."
The series opener was the first NBA 決勝戦 game in 不死鳥／絶品 since Michael Jordan´s Chicago Bulls won their third straight 選手権 here in Game 6 in 1993. The Suns, who （機の）カム into the NBA with the Bucks in 1968, made their only other 決勝戦 外見 in 1976.
They hadn´t even made the プレーオフs since 2010 and just two years ago were last in the Western 会議／協議会 with a 19-63 記録，記録的な／記録する.
But Booker was already 長，率いるd for stardom by then, and 2018 No. 1 選ぶ Ayton has played at that level in the postseason. Paul has been 安定した as always since his arrival in an offseason 貿易（する）.
Now 36 and a 10-time All-NBA 選択, he is on the 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） of best players to never 勝利，勝つ a 選手権. It appeared he might never even get to play for one until Oklahoma City dealt him to a team of Suns on the rise, and he might be the final piece that takes them all the way to the 最高の，を越す.
にもかかわらず so many debuts on the 決勝戦 行う／開催する／段階 - the Suns´ Jae Crowder was the only player who had appeared in them, and that was for Miami at a 中立の 場所／位置 last year - there didn´t appear to be many first-time jitters.
But Paul 転換d the Suns into another gear in the third. His 開始 jumper 供給するd the first 二塁打-digit lead of the game, and he followed with a four-point play for the Suns´ next basket.
He 得点する／非難する／２０d eight straight 不死鳥／絶品 points later in the period, hitting a 3-pointer, dancing around Bobby Portis for a layup and then hitting another 3. He then 解雇する／砲火／射撃d a pass to Ayton, who was fouled and made both 解放する／自由な throws to make it 88-68 with 2:20 left.
"Their 選ぶ-and-roll game is 堅い to guard," Bucks coach マイク Budenholzer said. "I think we´ve just got to keep getting better. We´ll look at the film. We´ll see how we can maybe take away some of the rhythm."
The Bucks 削減（する） it 負かす／撃墜する to seven 近づく the midpoint of the fourth before Paul helped the Suns 回復する a 安全な 利ざや. He 設立する Booker for a 3-pointer, stole the ball from Middleton and then 攻撃する，衝突する a jumper to make it 106-94.
Milwaukee also is making its third 決勝戦 外見, having won the 肩書を与える in 1971 but not getting another chance since losing in 1974. The Bucks got a 上げる for this 外見 when Antetokounmpo worked his way 支援する quickly from an 傷害 that looked serious when it happened.
The two-time 最高殊勲選手 行方不明になるd the final two games of the Eastern 会議／協議会 決勝戦. He was 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）d as doubtful for the opener, but he was 昇格d to 疑わしい Tuesday and then 挿入するd into the starting 顔触れ after he worked out on the 法廷，裁判所 before the game.
"I´m just happy that I´m out there and I´m able to help my team in any way possible and 参加する in my first NBA 決勝戦," Antetokounmpo said.
The Bucks threw a 高く弓形に打ち返す to Antetokounmpo on their first 所有／入手 - a play 類似の to the one he was defending when he was 負傷させるd in Game 4 of the Eastern 会議／協議会 決勝戦 against Atlanta - a nd he seemed to attack the basket just as forcefully as always.
But Jrue Holiday, who played so 井戸／弁護士席 while Antetokounmpo was out, 発射 just 4 for 14 and 得点する／非難する／２０d 10 points.
TIP-INS
Bucks: The Bucks said they had 9,000 fans watching the game inside Fiserv 会議 and 20,000 outside in the Deer 地区. ... Brook Lopez 得点する／非難する／２０d 17 points.
Suns: Ayton, who （機の）カム in 狙撃 70.6% in the postseason, was 8 for 10. ... 橋（渡しをする）s 得点する／非難する／２０d 14 points. ... The Suns are 4-0 in Game 1s in this postseason. ... Reserve 今後 Dario Saric 行方不明になるd the second half with a 権利 膝 傷害.
HAPPY TO BE HOME
The Bucks coach used to be a Suns fan.
Budenholzer is from Holbrook, Arizona, about three hours from 不死鳥／絶品. He said his parents and other family members would be at the game.
POSTSEASON PAST
This isn´t the first postseason matchup between the Bucks and Suns. Milwaukee was 以前は in the Western 会議／協議会 and （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 不死鳥／絶品 in the first 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of the 1978 プレーオフs.
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不死鳥／絶品 Suns 中心 Deandre Ayton (22) dunks against Milwaukee Bucks 中心 Brook Lopez (11) during the second half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA 決勝戦, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in 不死鳥／絶品. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
不死鳥／絶品 Suns guard Devin Booker lies on the 法廷，裁判所 after an 不快な／攻撃 foul called against him during the second half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA 決勝戦 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in 不死鳥／絶品. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Milwaukee Bucks 中心 Brook Lopez 回復するs as 不死鳥／絶品 Suns guard Chris Paul, 権利, looks on during the first half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA 決勝戦, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in 不死鳥／絶品. (AP Photo/Matt York, Pool)
不死鳥／絶品 Su ns guard Cameron Payne, 権利, steals the ball from Milwaukee Bucks 今後 Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) as 今後 Cameron Johnson (23) looks on during the second half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA 決勝戦, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in 不死鳥／絶品. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton, 前線 left, gets stopped by 不死鳥／絶品 Suns guard Devin Booker, left, Suns 中心 Deandre Ayton, second from 権利, and Suns 今後 Jae Crowder (99) during the first half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA 決勝戦, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in 不死鳥／絶品. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
