Fresh off a convincing victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals, Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker had nothing but praise for superstar point guard Chris Paul, who made his first ever appearance in the league’s biggest stage.
Paul, a 16-year NBA veteran, finished with a game-high 32 points on a very efficient 12-of-19 shooting, along with 9 assists and 4 rebounds in the Suns’ 118-103 win.
The 36-year-old Paul became the first player to record 30 points and 8 assists in an NBA Finals debut since Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan in 1991.
“Chris Paul, he’s been a bucket, man,” said Booker, who added 27 points and 6 assists in the victory.
“He obviously gets his team involved, he’s the greatest leader to play this game, but he’s been a bucket for a very long time,” he added.
After going scoreless in the opening period, Paul erupted for 16 points in the pivotal third quarter, which helped the Suns lead by as many as 20 points.
Paul then chipped in five more points in the final frame, including a huge and-one play on Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo with less than four minutes left in the game.
Aside from Paul’s heroics inside the court, Booker also believes that Paul’s presence in the Suns’ locker room puts the team to a much higher level.
“He moves this team, he leads this team daily,” said Booker of the 11-time All-Star Paul, who only joined the Suns at the start of the 2020-2021 NBA season.
“Just having him in the locker room, I’m not even talking about anything he does on the court, he takes the team to that next level,” he added.
The Suns, who are now only three wins away from capturing their first ever NBA title in franchise history, will look to take a 2-0 lead against the Bucks in Game 2 of their best-of-seven Finals series on Friday, July 9, Manila time. – Rappler.com
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