As the Golden State Warriors turn their attention to the draft after a pair of losses in the Western Conference play-in tournament, Warriors Wire is looking around the association with the NBA Finals officially underway.
Instead of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and the Warriors or a LeBron James-led squad in the league’s championship series, the Finals are headlined by the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks. While Jae Crowder is one of the only players in the series with Finals experience, Chris Paul looked like he belonged on the league’s biggest stage.
In his first appearance in the NBA Finals, the future Hall of Fame point guard went to work, scoring a game-high 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the floor with nine assists, five rebounds and a steal in 37 minutes.
Devin Booker tacked on 27 points on 8-of-21 shooting from the field with six assists and three steals in 42 minutes for the Suns. Phoenix’s big man Deandre Ayton added a double-double performance with 22 points and 19 rebounds in game one.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo registered a double-double for the Bucks coming off an injury, tallying 20 points and 17 boards, it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the Suns at home.
After jumping to an eight-point lead at halftime, the Suns cruised to a victory in game one, 118-105.
Watch highlights from game one of the NBA Finals via YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm5lzr1J25Y
The Suns will have the opportunity to jump to a two-game lead in the Finals on Thursday in game two at Phoenix Suns Arena in the Valley. Game two between the Suns and Bucks is slated for Thursday at 6 p.m. PT.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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