Just before Devin Booker got up to finish his video conference after the game on Monday, he had one more thing to say. First he had to order the ball.
Someone on camera turned her around, and when Booker grabbed her, she let out a megawatt smile.
“Yeah, here it is, everyone!” he said, tucking the ball under his arm. “Go to Ebay for a Million!”
The ball belonged to Chris Paul, who appeared in the locker room after winning the Phoenix Suns’ 128-127 overtime at the Milwaukee Bucks, where he beat NBA icon Magic Johnson by fifth place on the roster. of attendances of all time. Booker, who was at the other end of the assist with a goal, returned the ball to Paul. And Paul said he had some point in mind that he wanted to send it.
“The first thing I’m going to do is send this ball to Magic and see if he will sign it for me,” Paul said.
It was a night of celebration and reflection for the Suns, with Paul’s personal successes scoring one of the team’s biggest collective nights of the season. The win in Milwaukee was not only one of the best games of the NBA season, but it also provided the kind of affirmation that young and close teams want.
“It was all about the playoffs,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Emotion. Physical. Players playing. Final situations of the match. That was all. The resistance and relentless attitude we showed during the stretch, on the road, in overtime, says a lot about the character of the boys in our locker room. “
The Suns shook the bubble in Orlando last summer with their 8-0 run, setting the table for a promising season. There was a renewed culture under Williams, focused on development, detail, and defense. Suddenly, the Suns had some expectations.
Then they added Paul.
“I don’t have enough time to talk about everything he’s done,” Williams said. “He has contributed such a thing: he has improved the winning mentality. All our boys want to win. But when you see a guy who has done it from afar and then look at how he does it, from his diet to the exercise routine he has it every day, and then at stake when he can be in those situations and really raise the level of our team, it’s pretty fun to watch. ”
Still, the beloved bubble phase is over. You get the feeling that the Suns are a little tired of talking about it. Last summer they had a good race to restart in Orlando, Florida. Then they were good. They think they can be great now.
“Yes,” Booker said bluntly when asked if that was what he anticipated after Phoenix added Paul. “Up.”
Paul has a long history of leadership. His skill set extends beyond the ground, with his cerebral focus on the game and his ability to communicate with teammates and be accountable. These things are known. But last season they had to regain their reputation with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which led them to a 5th position in the West, and with the Thunder ready to embark on a rebuild, Paul identified the Suns. as the next team he could lift.
“I could sit here all day and give you story after story,” Williams said of Paul’s impact. “He definitely helps me as a coach. Our conversations in the game allow us to make some plays that we probably wouldn’t be able to make if I didn’t have that synergy with him.”
Paul is the constant rhythm of the Suns, the metronome that accompanies him to maintain consistency. Young teams can overcome the wave of a season or even a match, confusing themselves with the streak of losses, drama or deficits. Paul is rarely sounded and is the weighted blanket for all stress points. Whether it’s a calming mid-range jumper to stop a run, whether he’s making a foul to slow down the momentum, or sidelining Booker for quick, instant tutoring, as he did Monday after for Khris Middleton of the Bucks to make a late 3 draw with his face, Paul chooses his spots.
“Pay attention to detail. Approach the game the right way. See the little things and think about them,” said Deandre Ayton of the Suns. “Not thinking like a normal basketball player, but thinking ahead and knowing what the team’s trends are and how we can improve, how else we can modify an offense or a defense. Summon things ahead of time. Just be aware of anything small. “
“It really brings out the best in people,” Ayton added. “He wants the best for you, and he’ll talk to you, he’ll teach you. And it’s just about how much player you have to buy to help the team.”
These are moments like Paul passing Magic that destroys the reverence and respect he commands in the young dressing room of Phoenix. He’s a famous celebrity waiting and all the players on the team know it. This kind of intangible impact is the kind of example that is only presented with a list of professional successes like the one Paul has compiled.
“I’m inspired every day. I tell Chris every day. It’s not something I’ll take for granted,” Booker said. “I grab his brain. I listen to him intently. I watch him move, and even when he doesn’t talk to us or guide us, I just look at how he does his business. There’s a lot of respect for him and not just for me, but to the whole league and to the whole world. “
Ayton said: “The man has shown that he is the ‘God of the Point’ every time he plays. Breaking down milestones and things like this, recognitions, it’s an honor to be a part of it. I did it after I got the game ball and all I celebrated, and he said to me, “I love you, man. I am very honored to be a part of this. It’s crazy”.
“It’s another thing to win games, but when you really see the steps you want to add or the kind of respect you want to give to the league and you’re around that person every day, it’s a different feeling. You want to play harder. Because that person is doing the same thing that you are doing every day to stay at the forefront of their game and help the team win, doing everything they can. ”
In January, after the Suns lost three in a row to fall back to .500, there was frustration in the locker room. Paul stopped saying the team wasn’t good enough, instead of saying they weren’t playing well enough. But the message was clear: I was waiting for more and I was going to do everything I could to bring it to light.
Now, nearly three months later, the Suns are 1½ games behind the Utah Jazz for the top spot in the West after retiring to a title contender in a high-level round-robin game.
It’s hard to get declared wins, especially in this weird 72-game season, but for a team like the Suns, every win over a pair in competition serves as some kind of validation. The sudden jump from the Cinderella bubble to an apparent title candidate leaves doubters in abundance. There’s always an air of “suns are a good story, but …” around them.
“Did you know about our team, though, how do I say that?” Williams said. “It’s good to see him play in front of the rest.”
Towards the end of his mid-Monday availability, Paul was asked about Ayton’s solid defensive end to Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and while praising the young center, Paul mentioned the game plan. only that the Suns had to deploy for Antetokounmpo. But there was a casual line he added, perhaps unconsciously, perhaps casually, or perhaps intentionally.
“These games right here, we’re in the West, they’re in the East,” Paul said casually. “The only time we were able to see them again is in the final.”