"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 ET.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 Tip off from Amrican Airlines Stadium is set for Friday at 9:30 p.m. The Suns now look to stay hot as they head to Dallas for Game 3. The lead stretched to over 20 halfway through the final quarter, and Jason Kidd was forced to swap his subs in with the game being out of reach. After Booker’s run to start the third, Paul scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, and nearly went perfect in the second half hitting his first 9 shots after halftime. He and Chris Paul took turns taking over the game. Another fantastic finish for Paulīooker ended the game with 30 points after a brilliant second half in which he scored 21. Luka went to half with 24 points and the Mavericks led 60-58, while Devin Booker had just 9 and Chris Paul posted 8 going into the locker room.īooker wasted no time getting on track in the second half, scoring eight quick points to give the Suns a lead which they wouldn’t give up for the rest of the game. The 22-8 spell put the Mavs up for the first time in the entire series early in the second quarter. Booker and Paul take over in secondĭallas went on a run at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second, with Doncic on the bench mind you. In the snap of a finger the Suns led 9-0, but Luka as he so often does brought the Mavs storming back.ĭoncic scored 14 points in the opening quarter, but Phoenix kept the Mavs at a distance shooting 65% from the field going into the second. The Suns had a steamy start thanks to Micael Bridges and Deandre Ayton. Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaylen Brunson combined for 20 points on 6/22 shooting. They did the same thing in the second game of the series, as Doncic paced the Mavs, but none of the other role players had an impact in the loss on Wednesday. The Suns weren’t able to contain Luka Doncic in Game 1, but they did a good job keeping everyone else quiet. Chris Paul was the late hero, scoring 14 points in the final quarter to secure the 129-109 win. The Phoenix Suns used a huge fourth quarter take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals on Wednesday night.
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