“Deandre Ayton is your 2021 Finals MVP!”: Suns’ big joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain in a special list after a mammoth Game 1 against the Bucks

Phoenix Suns’ big Deandre Ayton had a huge night against the Bucks for his debut to the NBA Finals, joins elite company while doing so

The Phoenix Suns are not kidding around. After a dominant Game 1 performance, the Suns have established their dominance on the series and put Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. on the backfoot. Chris Paul and Devin Booker scored half of the Suns’ points, as they combined for 59 out of the 118 points scored by the Suns.

Chris Paul finished the night with a game-high 32 points and 9 assists. Devin Booker added 27 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Deandre Ayton was an absolute beast. He scored 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, just 1 rebound shy of his first-ever 20/20 game.

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Meanwhile, the Bucks saw the unexpected comeback of Giannis for Game 1. He still managed to score 20 points, grab 17 rebounds, while playing for 35 minutes. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with his 29 points and 7 rebounds.

Deandre Ayton records a historical performance

Deandre Ayton had a huge outing for his first-ever NBA Finals game. He scored 22 points, 19 rebounds, and shot 80% from the field. With these numbers, he joined elites like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell.

Players with 20+ PTS, 15+ REB, 80+ FG% in a Finals game in the shot clock era (since 1955):

Bill Russell
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Wilt Chamberlain
Deandre Ayton pic.twitter.com/r6ARRXeanx

— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 7, 2021

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Ayton’s performance had people calling him an early favorite for the coveted Finals MVP award.

If we’re being real, DeAndre Ayton is the current favorite for Finals MVP.

— Guru (@DrGuru_) July 7, 2021

If Ayton wishes to make a case for the coveted award, he would have to continue to perform at that level. It would be interesting to see if he can keep up his performance in Game 2 and onwards. Game 2 of the NBA Finals takes place on Thursday.