With Paul at the wheel, the Suns reached the playoffs for the first time since 2010 this season, and they hold a 1-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Finals. The 36-year-old played for Team USA in both the 20 Summer Games, winning gold both times. Phoenix Suns’ superstar Chris Paul will not participate in this summer’s Tokyo Games according to Adrian Wojnarowski. He took advantage of his opportunities tonight versus their switching defense, and thankfully he made shots.Team USA Basketball: 11x NBA All-Star Chris Paul Declines Team USA invite for the Tokyo Olympics "He's one of those rare guys that can see the floor, and he knows where all five guys should be. "He's just a really good basketball player," Williams said. And then he didn't wait to make his mark once he was in it. Paul waited a long time for Game 1 of the Finals. There's no scouting report that says Chris Paul can't get a bucket." And my six years of playing against him, or five years of playing against him, you understand that. But he's been a bucket for a very long time. "I mean, he obviously gets his team involved he's the greatest leader to play this game. "Chris Paul, he's been a bucket, man," Booker said. The 73 combined points are the most he has ever had over a two-game span in his postseason career, and Paul became just the fourth player in league history - joining two former Suns greats in Steve Nash and Kevin Johnson and a fellow do-everything guard in Oscar Robertson - to total 70-plus points on 65% shooting and 15 assists over two games in the playoffs. It was a spectacular carryover for Paul, in particular, from the Western Conference finals, when he closed out the LA Clippers in Game 6 with 41 points. They went 12-for-19 out of isolation, according to ESPN Stats & Info data, accounting for their most iso makes and attempts in any game since they became teammates last offseason. Paul and Booker became the third set of teammates to each score 25-plus points in their Finals debut since 1980, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (2012) and the Orlando Magic's Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway (1995).īooker and Paul were particularly devastating when they took on the Bucks' defense in isolation opportunities. "When it's going like that, you just want to space the floor well and let him. But we do this so often, and we have seen just about every coverage you could possibly see, so it's second nature." And Paul's wealth of experience made it feel natural for Suns coach Monty Williams to see his point guard carve up the Bucks' defense in the third quarter - scoring 16 of his game-high 32 points on 6-for-7 shooting - because Williams implicitly trusts Paul to execute for their team. I'm watching that, like, 'Damn, how do they know to pass it there?' And they probably think the same thing with us. "I was watching them soccer games," Paul said after the Suns' 118-105 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. PHOENIX - After waiting 16 years to make the NBA Finals for the first time in his career, Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul found himself with no basketball to watch on TV as he tried to kill the time in the days and hours leading up to Tuesday's Game 1. Phoenix Suns follow Chris Paul's lead in Game 1 NBA Finals win: When it's going like that, 'let him orchestrate'
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