![]() ![]() "When he wants it that bad, you can see it in his demeanor and see it in his walk, so it shouldn't surprise anyone. "That man is a true competitor and a true winner," said Suns star Devin Booker, who tallied 25 points. His 19 points in the frame were the second most in the final quarter in his career. Paul scored or assisted on 23 of the Suns' 31 points in the fourth quarter. "The mix-ups were on our part, my part as a coach. "We went under a couple screens, and he just stood behind and shot the 3 ball," Green said of Paul. ![]() Eventually, Green had to pull Nance, who had been very effective with Paul on the bench, from the game. Green, who was an assistant with the Suns last season and played with Paul on the LA Clippers and the then-New Orleans Hornets, used a bench-heavy lineup that cut a 23-point Phoenix lead down to just six by early in the fourth quarter.īut Paul broke the strategy as he repeatedly called for center Deandre Ayton to set a screen and force Nance into a switch. "That's like inviting me shoot," said Paul, who looked over at Green several times after splashing shots. Green's choice to have his defenders give Paul space by going under pick-and-rolls backfired when Paul made three 3-pointers in a row as he attacked a switching defense that repeatedly left him up against the slower Larry Nance Jr. Much of it came in a furious fourth-quarter rally, as Paul scored 17 points in a five-minute stretch to crush a Pelicans comeback attempt. LeBron James has the most with 22 such performances, followed by Michael Jordan with 15. Paul is now one of just five players in history to have 10 playoff games with 30 points and 10 assists. He passed Steve Nash, who did the same as a member of the Suns at age 36 in 2010. Paul, who will turn 37 in three weeks, became the oldest player to record 30 points and 10 assists in a playoff game, as he put up exactly those numbers in leading the top-seeded Phoenix Suns to a 110-99 victory in Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday. Then, after Paul eviscerated the strategy, he let his old friend know it. PHOENIX - First, Chris Paul heard his former teammate and coach Willie Green instruct the New Orleans Pelicans to dare him to shoot. 'He's built for these moments': Chris Paul takes over in 4th quarter to lead Phoenix Suns to Game 1 win over New Orleans Pelicans You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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