Phoenix and the burning faith of the Suns – Basketball

The Suns, the revelation team this season, had it up front with the home court factor in their favor and a promising 2-0 with which they started the Finals.

But those of Chris Paul and Devin Booker fell in three consecutive games (2-3), lost the field advantage and on Tuesday they will have to win yes or yes in Milwaukee to force a seventh and final meeting already back in Phoenix.

Founded in 1968, the Suns have never won the NBA title and are the oldest franchise to ever achieve the championship.

Phoenix fans have not given up hope, but have had to change their arrogant shout “Suns in Four” (“The Suns win the ring in four games”) for a realistic and almost desperate “Suns in Seven” (“The Suns they win in seven games “).

HOPE UNDER THE SUN

With temperatures in July that often exceed 40 degrees during the day and do not drop below 30 at night, the name of the Suns seems very appropriate for a Phoenix team, which with 1.7 million inhabitants (43% of them of Hispanic origin) is the fifth most populous city in the United States.

In the run-up to Suns games, fans fight their sweat in the scant shadows of downtown Phoenix or take refuge in the air conditioning and cool drinks at the bars surrounding the newly dubbed Footprint Center stadium.

One of those affected by the heat was Isauro López, a Latino who has lived in Phoenix for about thirty years and who on Saturday waited in the shade for the start of the fifth game.

“Since I got here, I have always watched basketball and now it is more exciting because we are in the Finals,” he told Efe.

Lopez admitted he was “a little nervous” after seeing the potential of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks, but said he remains confident in his team’s options.

“We have both: youth and veterans,” he detailed, mentioning that Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton are two of his favorite players.

ONE MORE MIRACLE?

“When the season started, nobody expected that we would be in this situation that we are in.”

This is how clear and concise Devin Booker summed up on Friday the brilliant trajectory of some Suns who have become accustomed to accomplishing almost miraculous feats.

Those from Phoenix were in the 2018-2019 season the worst team in the Western Conference (19 wins and 63 losses) and only two years later they have crept into the Finals leaving out, among others, the defending champions, Los Angeles Lakers by LeBron James.

Phoenix fans have all their faith in the extraordinary young talent of Devin Booker and the masterful veteran of Chris Paul, but it is clear that without coach Monty Williams this odyssey would have been impossible.

So, in the toughest moment of the Finals and after losing the fifth game at home, Williams took it upon himself to lift the spirits of his team and pave the way to force the seventh game.

“We have to win a game to put the Bucks on the plane back to Phoenix,” he told the media.

“We have to be determined that we are going to do whatever it takes to get them back on the plane. We can call it what you want: mental toughness or that (…). Our guys are capable of it. It’s our first once in a situation like this and we can do it, “he said.