PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 06: Devin Booker # 1 of the Phoenix Suns goes for a slam dunk in front of Jrue Holiday # 21 of the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of the first game of the NBA Finals at the Phoenix Suns Arena on July 06. 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Bucks 118-108. NOTE TO USER: The user expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and / or using this photo, the user is agreeing to the terms of the Getty Images license agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
PHOENIX – In basketball, a true brotherhood is hard to beat. But a team with great chemistry and great players?
These teams are practically invincible.
Welcome to the suns 2021.
Welcome to the deer hunting season in Phoenix.
“I think we are prepared for this moment,” said Devin Booker.
The Suns have a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA finals because they are a superior team with a backcourt that is currently producing at historic levels. They duplicated their 118-point spend from Game 1 against a vaunted Bucks defense. They made 20 of 40 three-point shots on Thursday, exceeding their shooting rate at close range.
They lost Dario Saric to injury, absorbing a dominant performance from Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and yet made it look easy.
“Our team, we have shooters. Real shooters, ”said Chris Paul. “I say that all the time: It’s nice when you kick that guy and expect him to do it.”
If you wanted a game to describe the heart and soul of this basketball, it wouldn’t be one of the clutch hits Booker and Paul made in the second half. It wasn’t the time out after the Bucks reduced the gap to six points at 4:32 ahead of the game, when there was no trace of fear in the arena where Suns fans are no longer waiting for bad breaks or shoes to fall.
No. It was the game at the end of the first half when the Suns moved basketball like the Harlem Globetrotters. They made 10 passes in their half-court offensive before Deandre Ayton hit the edge and completed a three-point game.
That was the real power of the Suns, a team where everyone has the green light, where everyone has the opportunity to shoot the ball, where their selflessness is something to be seen.
“We just are,” said Suns head coach Monty Williams. “One of our pillars is sharing the ball. In my time in San Antonio under Pop (head coach Gregg Popovich), I’ve learned over the years that when the ball moves like this, anyone can take control. Second, it can have an impact on the defensive … that was an enormous momentum game for us. “
The suns are now on the HOV lane to a championship. If there is poetic justice in this finale, they will win a game in Milwaukee and get a chance to win a championship in downtown Phoenix. Also, Jerry Colangelo will be in attendance for a Game 5 and it will be his last chance to experience this elusive NBA title in person as he leaves for the Tokyo Olympics shortly after with Team USA.
At the very least, their performance in Game 2 should dampen the idiocy of those who attach the asterisks to the postseason run of the suns and question legitimacy due to all the fallen stars they avoided along the way. This is a team that led the NBA in road wins, knocked out three playoff opponents on the road, and now has eight double-digit wins in the postseason.
The truth is, opposing fans are blinded by jealousy. Who doesn’t want a basketball team like ours?
The suns are hard, firm, and fun to watch. They don’t handle burdens or take nights off. They play hard on both ends of the defense and can beat you in any style you choose. You have a young core of players who are just starting out.
Before he was picked at # 1 overall, Deandre Ayton once claimed that he and Booker could be Shaq and Kobe 2.0. At one point the prediction sounded ridiculously ambitious. Now it’s a warning siren for the rest of the league.
Finally, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went viral before Game 2. He paid homage to the infamous coin toss between the teams in 1969 by tossing his own coin. On landing, Abdul-Jabbar announced the
Bucks would win in six.
I’m sorry this won’t happen. This is a new day in Phoenix. This is a team that crafted one of the most dominant post seasons in history. As for the curses and the heartache and misery of the past few years?
No more. The buck – and the bucks – stop here.
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Reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 98.7 FM Arizonas Sports Station.
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