Paul, who will turn 37 in three weeks, became the oldest player to score 30 points and 10 assists in a playoff game, as he set those numbers to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 110-99 victory in their first game. . first round series on Sunday. He passed Steve Nash, who did the same as a member of the Suns at the age of 36 in 2010. Paul is now one of only five players in history to have 10 playoff games with 30 points and 10 assists. LeBron James has the most with 22 such games, followed by Michael Jordan with 15.
1 Relevant Much of it came in a furious fourth-quarter rally as Paul scored 17 points in five minutes to crush an attempt by the Pelicans to return. Green’s choice to give his defenders space to go to the pick and roll failed when Paul made three consecutive three-pointers as he attacked an alternating defense that left him repeatedly against the slower Larry Nance Jr. “It ‘s like inviting me [to] “Shoot,” said Paul, who looked at Green several times after firing. “I know, Willie, this is my man. “Everything is part of the game.” Green, who assisted the Suns last season and played with Paul in the LA Clippers and then-New Orleans Hornets, used a heavyweight that reduced the Phoenix’s 23-point lead to just six early in the fourth quarter. . But Paul broke the strategy as he repeatedly called on center Deandre Ayton to set up a screen and force Nance to change. Eventually, Green had to pull Nance out of the game, who was very effective with Paul on the bench. “We went under two screens and he just stood back and shot the 3-ball,” Green said. “The confusion was on our side, on my side as a coach. I have to do better with this coverage. Chris, that’s exactly what he does.” PlayerAgeTeamSun.Chris Paul36 (y) -346 (d) PHX2010Steve Nash36 (y) -85 (d) PHX2020LeBron James35 (y) -271 (d) LAL– ESPN Statistics & Information Paul scored or assisted 23 of the Suns’ 31 points in the fourth quarter. His 19 points in the frame were the second most in the last quarter of his career. “This man is a real contender and a real winner,” said Suns star Devin Booker, who had 25 points. “When he wants it so badly, you can see it in his behavior and see it in his walk, so it should not surprise anyone. He is made for these moments.” The Suns kept the Pelicans on 22% shot in the first half, as Michal Bridges, the finalist for defensive player of the year, drowned the Pelicans’ guard, JJ McCollum. The Pelicans scored just 2 of 16 for the game when Bridges was the main defender, according to ESPN Stats & Information Tracking. McCollum finished with 25 points but missed 16 shots and was 0-9 with Bridges on him. Paul also played excellent defense, having three steals. “It’s just his ability to understand that he has to take on a game,” said Suns coach Monty Williams. “I do not think I have ever been close to someone like Chris who had that innate sense of humor at the time.” ESPN’s Andrew Lopez contributed to this report.