Suns Opener

The Phoenix Suns, as is the case with their final round opponents, in their 53rd season, are now over 3 to 1 “faves” to cop their first NBA crown.

Chris Paul, now a favorite, in this his 16th season to not only win a title but also to be final round MVP, hit for 32 as Phoenix won (118-105) (in an) over the Milwaukee Bucks in the final round opener.

The Bucks do have one title, that clinched in a (118-106) win on April 30, 1971 (this series is so extended, which of course is TV driven, with Tues, Thurs, Sunday, Wed. Sat, Tues and Thurs,) and also clinched its first final “app” in 47 years scoring 118 at Atlanta last Saturday, but are on the wrong end of a 118 for the winner in this final round opener.

The home team is now an incredible (16-1) counting the bubble designation of L.A. as the home team last year, (15-1) not counting it and (15-2) vs the spread or (14-2) in the last 17 final round openers. The lone loss by Miami, which eventually Ray Allen’d and Leb James’d the Spurs in 7, in ’13.

By the way, “Horse,” aka Brent Musberger, touted a Bucks/under wease, which lost bucks for those who backed Brent. Maybe for old time sake, I can “inform” Phil Mushnick of this “tidbit/nugget,” when he is the guest on the New York Giants Preservation Society “Zoom” tomorrow night.

The Suns broke a 4 game home final round loss skein and are now (3-4) in home final tilts. The Bucks fell to a still very good (4-2) road final record. Normally, I would root for 4 straight and certainly (2-0) but I so messed up the Suns and their opposition injury aided run to a likely, but far from certain title, that I hope “Milw” makes it at least a bit tough for the Suns (likely it is Lightning then Sun(s)), by winning game 2.

Only 9 times in now 75 NBA final series, has the home team both lost game 1 and the series (’04,’95, ’93 when the Suns did, ’82, ’75, ’74 when the Bucks did, ’58 when the Celtics did, ’50 and ’48).