PHOENIX (AP) —
Chris Paul and his 36-year-old legs climbed onto the podium at the
NBA Finals on Wednesday. He was asked to reminisce about things
that have changed in his game during the past 16 years.
“I’m not as
athletic as I was then,” Paul said grinning.
But what he
lacks in athleticism, he’s made up for in other ways. He was
fantastic in Game 1 on Tuesday night, finishing with 32 points and
nine assists to lead the Suns to a 118-105
victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
He is one of
several 30-somethings in these playoffs proving that older legs and
a little savvy can still carry teams a long way. Paul is looking to
lead the way again in Game 2 Thursday night.
Three of the
Bucks’ starting five — Jrue Holiday, P.J. Tucker and Brook Lopez —
are at least 30 and a fourth, Khris Middleton, will turn 30 this
summer. Backup point guard Jeff Teague recently turned 33.
Paul is the
oldest player on the Suns, but rotation players Jae Crowder and
Torrey Craig are also in their 30s.
The veterans
had mixed results in Game 1.
Paul was the
unquestioned star, shooting 12-of-19 from the field, including
4-of-7 from three-point range. Lopez was solid for the Bucks,
scoring 17 points and making three three-pointers.
Others
struggled: Crowder scored just one point on a free throw and was
0-of-8 from the field and missed all five of his three-point
attempts. Holiday hit just 4-of-14 shots.
Tucker was his
usual self, providing valuable defense and toughness for the Bucks.
He added seven points.
And with so
much experience on that court, no one expects the upcoming games to
be easy.
“It’s going to
be a very hard series,” Crowder said. “These guys played very hard.
They are a good team and they have very good players. I think the
physicality and the way the game was played was high-level; you
respect that.”
MIND
GAMES
It was absurdly
loud from the moment Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped to
the line for his first free throw attempt in Game 1 on Tuesday
night.
It sounded like
everyone of the 17,000 strong at Phoenix Suns Arena started
counting — screaming out the seconds as Antetokounmpo went through
his lengthy routine. By the end of the game, it was deafening and
the crowd roared each time he missed.
It’s hard to
say if it had much of a direct effect; Antetokounmpo was 7-of-12
from the line. He’s struggled shooting free throws the past two
playoff series, making just 44-of-88 (50%) against the Nets and the
Hawks. He’s made 72% from free throw line in his career.
Antetokounmpo
admits he couldn’t help but hear the countdown. He also knows it
will continue during games in Phoenix.
“Of course,
20,000 people yelling, 'one, two, three, four,' you notice that,”
Antetokounmpo said. “But as I said, like I’ve learned to embrace
it. Like, I know it’s not going to stop.”
OLYMPICS GOT NEXT
Suns guard
Devin Booker has a message for the USA basketball team: “I’ll be
there.”
“I’ve reached
out to Coach Pop,” Booker said of national team coach Gregg
Popovich. “I reached out to (Jerry) Colangelo just recently and
then I told them I saw all the guys reported to Vegas, and the only
other place I would rather be is the Finals. But I would love to be
there with the guys and I’ll be there soon.”
The logistics
of getting from the NBA Finals to Tokyo could be tight if the
series goes all seven games. Game 7 is scheduled for July 22 and
the first game for USA Basketball at the Olympics is July 25.
Holiday and Middleton could be in the same situation for the
Bucks.
But Booker made
it clear he’s looking forward to the experience.
“I think it’s
the most prestigious event that basketball can find,” Booker said.
“So to be a part of representing your country I think brings you to
a whole other stratosphere. Just thinking of the guys that have
come before us and represented our country, and I don’t think
there’s anything better than winning a gold medal.”
BY THE
NUMBERS
2 — Vintage
shirts Booker has worn to NBA Finals news conferences. They’re from
the early 1990s, when the Suns had Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle,
Kevin Johnson and Tom Chambers. The Suns last made the Finals in
1993.
96.2% — The
Suns are usually a very good team at free throws and showed it in
Game 1, making 25 in row before Jae Crowder missed the final
attempt of the night. It would have been a Finals record had
Crowder knocked down No. 26.