The Phoenix Suns have taken Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
They ended up winning 118-105 and were impressive throughout.
The Suns were in control throughout most of the game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo decided to play and give the Milwaukee Bucks an extra boost.
That could have potentially hurt the Suns’ chances of winning, but that was not the case.
The Suns were ready to come out and play.
We do not often see this from a team with very little championship experience.
This was the first ever game in the NBA Finals for every player on the Suns except for Jae Crowder.
Chris Paul is in his 16th season in the NBA, but has never made it to the Finals before.
For a player with his resume and credentials, that is somewhat shocking.
However, he has gone through so much heartbreak over his career.
Now Paul is here on the big stage.
Game 1 can be a feel out game for teams, or a time to make a big statement for the series.
How was Paul’s first ever Finals performance?
Offensive End
Paul was incredible on the offensive end.
He scored 32 points with nine assists.
It was a historical game for this to be his first one in the NBA Finals.
Elite company 👀
Chris Paul is the first player with 30 points and 8 assists in an #NBAFinals debut since Michael Jordan in 1991. pic.twitter.com/6gNKVNQvcd
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 7, 2021
There was no way of stopping him in Game 1.
The mid-range is his staple and he executed it perfectly.
Also, his ability to shoot threes was excellent as well.
He shot 4-7 from three, including an and-one.
Paul was the best player on the floor, and it truly was not close.
The Suns had Paul going off and the Bucks had no answer.
At 36 years old, and in his first NBA Finals ever, he controlled the entirety of the game to win Game 1.
Impact
Scoring is obviously a big part of the game.
However, Paul was able to control all aspects.
Paul was a force with the ball in his hands.
He was able to distribute or score on most possessions with the ball in his hand.
Chris Paul scored or assisted on 54 points tonight, the 3rd most points scored or assisted on in a players Finals debut in NBA history. @EliasSports
Allen Iverson: 61 points on 06/06/2001
Michael Jordan: 60 points on 06/02/1991
Chris Paul: 54 points on 07/06/2021 pic.twitter.com/JbYNyM4ajL— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) July 7, 2021
It was a historical performance on all fronts.
The pick and roll dissection from Paul was incredible.
The Bucks were trying to switch with Brook Lopez or Bobby Portis onto Paul.
It was a nightmare for the Bucks.
They had no idea how to stop Paul from getting to whatever spot he wanted to on the floor.
His impact was not just the scoring and distributing, but it was also how he sucked in the defense.
Once they decided to try and not switch, the corner three and alley-oop were too easy for Paul.
He ended with a plus/minus of plus-17.
Paul was incredible for the entire game.
The Suns have a great chance of easily winning this series with Paul playing like that.
The performance will go down in history if he ends up winning the title and the Finals MVP.
If the Bucks want to win, they need to focus on how to take Paul out of the game.
He has the biggest impact on the court.
Grade: A+
NEXT: 3 Best Phoenix Suns Who Never Made NBA Finals
