Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 118-105 Game 1 loss to Phoenix Suns in NBA Finals

Chris Paul carves up Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 loss to Phoenix Suns

Going from the first Finals performance for a future Hall of Famer to another, Tuesday night was all Chris Paul’s and the Suns as a whole.

The veteran guard posted 32 points on 12-for-19 shooting (4-for-7 from 3-point range, 4-for-4 from the free throw line), nine assists, four rebounds and two turnovers in nearly 37-and-a-half minutes of burn.

As both teams did overall, it wasn’t exactly an auspicious start for Paul as he felt out the start of the contest and looked to make plays for others when advantageous mismatches presented themselves elsewhere on the floor. At halftime, Paul scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, along with four assists and two turnovers.

It wasn’t until the second half and the third quarter where Milwaukee felt the wrath of Paul’s dominance that ultimately helped separate the Suns from the Bucks. With 16 of his 32 points scored in the third quarter, Paul carved up the Bucks’ drop defense that proved to be an halftime adjustment to no avail.

While the Bucks capitulated back to a more switching defense later in the third game, which affected Brook Lopez’s minutes for the rest of the night, the damage was done and Paul now stands three wins away from his first NBA championship.