After a 28-year drought, the Phoenix Suns have returned to the NBA Finals.
Phoenix won Game 6 of the Los Angeles Clippers championship on Wednesday night.
Chris Paul was the star of the show with 41 points, four boards, eight assists, and three steals over 35 minutes. He went 16-for-24, and will make his first NBA Finals appearance. Paul is currently in his 16th NBA season, and the Western Conference Finals was his furthest.
Paul, who had been with the Clippers for six seasons, went through several disappointments during the playoffs before being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2017. After a brief stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he ended up signing for the Suns.
Devin Booker’s 22 point and seven rebound performance in Phoenix was a major factor in the win. Jae Crowder scored 19 points, with five of his six made shots coming in from beyond the arc.
Paul was involved in a heated exchange with Clippers’ guard Patrick Beverley towards the end of the match. Beverley shoved Paul during a timeout in the fourth quarter.
Beverley was then ejected.
Marcus Morris Sr. was the Clippers’ leading scorer with 26 points. Paul George scored 21 points, shooting 6-of-15.
In 1993, the Suns lost to Kevin Johnson and Charles Barkley in the NBA Finals. The team won’t be running into Michael Jordan this time.
Phoenix will be looking for success after losing six games to Chicago Bulls in 1992-1993.
The team is waiting for the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks – Atlanta Hawks series.
