National Basketball Association

Chris Paul falls flat as Phoenix Suns come up short vs. Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4

Updated Jul. 29, 2021 9:40 p.m. ET

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The NBA Finals are anything but short of drama.

Game 4 between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns ⁠— which the Bucks won 109-103 ⁠— was rife with major moments.

Khris Middleton rattled off 40 to lead the Bucks, while Devin Booker scored a game-high 42 in a losing effort.

There was a sensational late block from Giannis Antetokounmpo to deny a Deandre Ayton alley-oop.

Basically, if you name it, it likely happened in Game 4.

But for all those heroic efforts, it could be argued that it was a near no-show from a superstar that the Suns will rue the most.

Chris Paul, playing in the first Finals series of his 16-year career, struggled mightily in Game 4.

Credit Milwaukee's defensive effort, sure, but the Paul who played Wednesday looked nothing like "The Point God." 

Paul shot 38.5% from the field while logging 10 points ⁠— two of which came in the closing seconds with the game largely out of reach ⁠— and seven assists. 

He had as many turnovers (five) as he did made field goals, extremely uncharacteristic for the 36-year-old veteran.

To put his game in a nutshell, look at the play that all but ended Phoenix's comeback effort.

Down two with about 35 seconds left, Paul drove to his left and looked to cross over Antetokounmpo. As he made his move, he lost his footing ⁠— and the ball ⁠— sending the Bucks to the races with an odd-man break.

Just like that, the Bucks went up 103-99 with 27.2 to go.

The Suns couldn't put the pressure on in the ensuing possession, as Booker missed a driving layup. From then on, it was a game of free throws, which the Bucks drained to perfection.

Milwaukee went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe down the stretch, quelling any designs of a Suns rally to lock down the 109-103 win.

As mentioned, the Antetokounmpo block, Middleton's massive game and Booker's valiant effort all drew their due acclaim, but Paul's struggles also garnered attention on social media. 

That reaction carried over to Thursday, when many pundits addressed Paul's dismal performance.

On "First Things First," Nick Wright said it was not just CP3's propensity for coughing up the ball that doomed the Suns but also the situation in which those turnovers occurred.

"It's not just the two turnovers in the fourth quarter," Wright said. "It's when and how they happened: live-ball turnovers that led to layups [for the Bucks]."

Skip Bayless of "Undisputed" called Wednesday's game a "nightmare" for Phoenix.

On ESPN, Stephen A. Smith was left scratching his head about CP3's outing.

"Chris Paul, he's not well," Smith said.  "… Chris Paul with 15 turnovers in three games? It does not happen! It does not happen. Something is wrong with Chris Paul. Now I will say this to Chris Paul, you've got to suck it up, baby. You've got to summon whatever is in you."

But back to the game. It should be noted that Paul wasn't alone in being reckless with the ball. In total, the Suns had 17 turnovers. The Bucks, on the other hand, had just five. 

In his postgame media conference, Suns head coach Monty Williams took note of the excess of turnovers but called it a "blip on the screen" for a team that averaged 11.9 turnovers in the playoffs coming into Game 4.

Understandably, those turnover numbers inflate when CP3 isn't on his A-game. 

As anomalous as Paul's five turnovers in Game 4 were, he has had trouble taking care of the ball ⁠— by his lofty standards ⁠— for most of the Finals.

He had only had two turnovers in Game 1 but six in Game 2 and four in Game 3, for an average of four per game. Consider that he averaged 1.6 per game in playoff games prior to the Finals this postseason, and it's fair for Suns fans to feel a bit alarmed.

But don't think for a second that Paul himself is unnerved. Although he owned up to his "bad decision-making" in Game 4, he's already locked in and confident about Game 5.

Paul and the Suns will have three days between games to get back to their winning ways, with Game 5 set to tip off at 9 p.m. ET Saturday in Phoenix.

For more up-to-date news on all things Suns, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

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National Basketball Association

Phoenix Suns

Chris Paul

Milwaukee Bucks

Khris Middleton

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Devin Booker

Nick Wright

Skip Bayless

First Things First