There is a clash of styles at the center position in the N.B.A. They had comparable scoring averages during the regular season — Lopez with 12.3 points per game; 14.4 points a game for Ayton — and are often used in pick-and-rolls. But Ayton plays like a more traditional center, plucked out of the 1990s, whereas Lopez plays like a guard, spending much of his time on the perimeter ready to shoot 3-pointers. And this clash could be the key to this best-of-seven championship series, which the Suns lead two games to none. This is essentially a battle between Old School and New School N.B.A., and paradoxically, the newer game is played by the older Lopez, who is 33.

Source: New York Times July 10, 2021 03:56 UTC