Chris Paul’s turnover struggles continue in Suns’ Game 4 loss to Bucks
Jul 14, 2021, 9:39 PM | Updated: 10:32 pm
Jrue Holiday #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks steals the ball from Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half in Game Four of the NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum on July 14, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul hasn’t been quite himself lately in the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In Games 2-4 — which the Suns have lost the last two of — the Point God has committed a total of 15 turnovers.
That metic is the most in Paul’s career over a three-game stretch in the playoffs since 2012, according to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.
The Suns point guard finished the 109-103 Game 4 loss with five turnovers and a plus-minus of -10, the worst on the night for Phoenix.
As a team, the Suns lost the turnover battle, 17-5.
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“It was me, I had five of them. It was bad decision-making,” Paul said of Phoenix’s turnovers. “That time we were down two and I tried to cross over right there, slipped, turned it over. I had some bad passes in the first half.
“They got a significant amount more shots than us, so for me I got to take care of the ball. We got 17 turnovers, we shoot the ball too well not to have those opportunities to score.”
Paul finished the contest with 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting (38.5%) in addition to a team-high seven assists.
He was one of only four Suns to reach double figures in scoring along with Devin Booker (42), Jae Crowder (15) and Cam Johnson (10).
The four Phoenix starters not named Booker only combined for a total of 38 points on the night.
The series is now all tied up at 2-2, turning the Finals into a best-of-three series, with Games 5 and 7 in Phoenix.
“You can’t just bank on the fact that you got home court, you got to go out there and play the game,” Paul said.
“You got to go out there and execute, so we’ll do that, we’ll do that. We tend to respond well but it’s easy. We know what we got to do, we know what we got to do. Be better.”
Game 5 is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tip-off on Saturday night at Phoenix Suns Arena.
Catch all the action on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
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