The NBA Western Conference Semifinals finally ended at noon Beijing time after six fierce battles, the score was fixed at 130-103, phoenix suns defeated the Clippers in Los Angeles, 4-2 after 28 years to reach the finals again. The Suns are congratulatory, and their star, 36-year-old Chris Paul, is even more proud and respected, and after many hardships, he has only had the opportunity to experience the taste of the finals for the first time in the twilight of his career, and has great hopes of winning the championship. Paul deserves all this, and the sun is different because of Paul.
In this game, the veteran Paul played 35 minutes, he shot 16 of 24 and 7 of 8 from 3 points, scoring a total of 41 points. In addition, there are 4 rebounds and 8 assists, playing the superstar data, you know this is the NBA division final. In such a high-intensity and high-confrontation defense, on the field of long people, the height is only 1 meter 83, and Paul, who is still at the level of an uncle in age, really killed a "seven in and seven out", such as entering no man's land, scoring like a probe. He really fought hard, let the juniors Devon Booker learn and appreciate the style of his predecessors, and let the core player in the opponent's squad, Paul George, see who is the real supergiant "Paul" who has the ability to dominate the game.
Chris Paul has left countless classic battles this season, taking the fourth game of the Western Conference semifinals against the Nuggets, Paul bombed 37 points and 7 assists on 14-of-19 shooting without shooting a 3-pointer, almost playing a god-level performance. What's more, as a point guard who has held the ball the longest, he has achieved a feat of zero turnovers in multiple games. However, it is such a top star of the NBA League, who does not have a championship ring on his hand, and has not even played a Finals, and is not as good as Aaron Iverson of the 76ers that year.
This season is arguably paul's closest to the peak of his career, and Paul is desperate to go further. However, fate is always playing tricks on people, and strange things always inadvertently fall on this ill-fated superstar. Half a month ago, on June 17, the media exposed the news that Paul tested positive for the new crown virus, triggering the alliance's safety and health agreement, and Paul will be truce indefinitely. Paul himself felt wronged because all he did every day was play games and trips to and from the training gym, and teammates and people who knew him well commented that Paul was a well-behaved person, "He did everything we should have done, but unfortunately this kind of thing happened, and he was also vaccinated." ”
Fortunately, in the third game of the Western Conference Finals, Paul ushered in a comeback moment, but his hand in that game was not good, and he could not find the feeling of the division final for a while after missing the first two games, only scored 15 points, and the team lost that game. Then Paul gradually began to improve his play, contributing 18 points and 7 assists in the fourth game of the series, and together with teammates Booker and Ayton, helped the team win the Western Conference Finals. Despite the Clippers' tenacious efforts to pull back a city, the Los Angeles team without Leonard was the final struggle, and finally failed to withstand the powerful attacks of Paul and the Suns, losing by 27 points. This is the gap in strength, the gap in star ability and willpower, and Paul, undoubtedly the stronger and more dominant and enterprising winner, has a firmer belief in his heart: to reach the finals and win the championship.
Let's look back at the Suns' journey in the first three rounds of this year's playoff series, they faced the defending champion Lakers in the first round, and although Paul accidentally injured his shoulder in the first game, he has always insisted on playing with injuries. Since then, with "Thick Brow Brother" Davis injured in the groin of Game 4, the Suns have won three consecutive games to eliminate the Lakers. In the Western Conference semifinals, facing the Nuggets led by Most Valuable Player Jokic, the Suns did not leave them any chance, with a big score of 4-0, and the soldiers completed the sweep without bloodshed. And in the Western Conference Finals, Clippers star Leonard missed the entire series, Zubac also missed the last two games due to injury, the Suns did not waste a good opportunity, ending the game in Game SIX.
The last time the Suns reached the Finals was in the distant 1993, led by star Charles Barkley and shooter Dan Malley, who had a chance to compete against the First Bulls in the East after defeating the Lakers, Spurs and Supersonics in the playoffs that season. The result, of course, is a fact known to everyone, that in the face of the strength of "Flyer" Michael Jordan, the Suns lost the series 2-4 and hated it.
Further back, 45 years ago, in 1976, when the Suns, who had to reach the Finals for the first time, met the Celtics, a giant team in the sky, and the Suns also missed the championship. After entering the 21st century, the Suns' performance has fluctuated, and at one point they were reduced to weak briskets, and last season, they simply did not qualify for the playoffs. And with the arrival of Chris Paul, everything changed, the right time came to the right team, Paul and the Suns joined hands, so that both sides benefited, there was a chemical change, and the players and individuals ushered in a historical leap.
Text/Beiqing Sports Liu Ailin