What Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith said after Game 1 of the NBA Finals
Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith were in awe of Chris Paul after Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Suns and Bucks in Phoenix.
The NBA Finals are underway and the Pheonix Suns drew first blood.
The Suns pulled away for a dominant Game 1 victory over the Bucks on Tuesday night, winning 118-105.
What did some of the biggest sports commentators think about the first game in the series?
Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless are about the Chris Paul train
For Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, it was all about Chris Paul’s performance in his first-ever Finals appearance.
Ladies & Gentlemen, Game 1 of these @NBA Finals has officially become the @CP3 Show. Because he is putting it on the @Bucks, people!
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 7, 2021
Once again, Chris Paul is playing like an NBA champion.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 7, 2021
Bayless went so far as to call it a done deal for Paul and Phoenix.
Now Chris Paul's first ring is a foregone conclusion. Congrats, Point God.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 7, 2021
Suns fans now have to hope Bayless isn’t jinxing the team with his confidence.
It helps to have Paul looking exactly like a veteran out to prove himself on the biggest stage. He took over after the first quarter, putting up 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-7 three-pointers. He dished 9 assists, grabbed four rebounds and had one steal.
Paul had plenty of support from Devin Booker, who had 27 points, and Deandre Ayton, who put up 22 points while dominating the boards with 19 rebounds.
Bayless was far less kind to Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who returned from the hyperextended knee which kept him out for the final two games of the Eastern Conference Finals.
I liked the Bucks to steal this game tonight ... without Giannis. With him, the ball doesn't move and Lopez mostly camps on the perimeter instead of commanding the paint. I've never been sold on this team with Giannis. Now, I won't be surprised at a Suns sweep.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 7, 2021
The Bucks obviously needed Brook Lopez to guard Ayton and bang with him down low. Instead, that assignment went to Giannis. Of course, Ayton put up historic numbers.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 7, 2021
Antetokounmpo may have changed the flow of his team, but his stat sheet was still impressive. He had 20 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. However, he had five fouls in 35 minutes of action.
Khris Middleton tried to carry the Bucks on the scoring front with 29 points. However, he went 12-of-26 from the field and 5-of-12 from three-point distance.
The Fox personality also couldn’t resist throwing in a tweet about the Clippers.
If Joe Ingles hadn't bumped Kawhi off stride, and Kawhi hadn't been lost for the playoffs with a knee needing surgery, you'd be watching the Clippers right now on the way to winning the NBA championship.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 7, 2021
Regardless of what Bayless thinks might have happened if Kawhi Leonard hadn’t been injured, the Finals actually feature Phoenix and Milwaukee, who will go at it again in Game 2 on Thursday.
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