For Suns, Paul’s feel-good Finals story ends in frustration
As the final buzzer sounded, a stone-faced Chris Paul slowly walked off the court, down the tunnel and into the locker room.
His feel-good story was denied the happy with the Phoenix Suns ending he craved.
“Great group of guys, hell of a season,” Paul said. “But this one’s gonna hurt for a while.”
One of the NBA’s most accomplished players finally got to the sport’s biggest stage in his 16th season at 36 years old. He’s an 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defensive selection and often referred to as the ‘Point God’for his near-perfect profile as an elite point guard.
But he still lacks a championship.
Led by Giannis Antetokounnmpo’s amazing performance with 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Suns 105-98 on Tuesday night to win the NBA Finals in six games.
The Suns won the first two games of the series only to lose four straight. It was a brutal collapse for a team led by Paul, who is regarded as one of the best leaders and point guards in NBA history.
Even though the pain of losing was fresh, coach Monty Williams said he hasn’t forgetten what the point guard’s presence meant to a franchise that had been among the NBA’s worst for the past several seasons.
“I just think it speaks to his greatness,” Williams said. “He’s a generational player. I said that 11 years ago when I coached him in New Orleans. Everywhere he’s gone, the team has won. They’ve improved.”
Paul’s performance against the Bucks ran the gamut: He was the hero in a Game 1 win with 32 points, then he was the goat in a Game 4 loss with five turnovers, including a particularly costly one in the final minute. In the decisive Game 6, he led the team with 26 points and added five assists. It wasn’t enough. With 40 seconds left and the Suns down 8, Paul’s desperation 3pointer clanked off the rim. Any chance at a miracle comeback was done. The championship had slipped away.
“Everybody in that locker room knows we had enough,” Paul said. “But it wasn’t enough.”