Chris Paul Rising to Occasion When Suns Need Him Most
As the third quarter buzzer sounded at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul made his way to the bench and huddled around his teammates with a 83-78 lead, despite only scoring seven points in the game.
The veteran point guard, known for his ability to distribute the ball and control the flow of the game, was noticeably frustrated with his scoring ability that night as his shooting slump continued. Throughout the series, Paul's ability to knock down open shots simply hasn't been there. The shooting slump was affecting his confidence attacking the basket and creating shots for himself.
The confidence for Paul was night and day in the fourth as he scored 12 points, many of those baskets in crunch time. He went 5-9 from the field in shots in the fourth, including many from outside the paint.
G Chris Paul showed flashes of scoring and confidence in the fourth in the Game 4 112-100 win Saturday evening.
"That's what we expect from him," said G Devin Booker after the game, who had himself another 30-point performance. "(He's) a first ballot hall of famer for a reason. I know I was waiting on him last game for missing a few open shots, but I definitely wasn't worried about today."
With three minutes remaining in the game, F Torrey Craig heaved up a shot at the end of the shot clock that narrowly grazed the rim. A hustling Paul tracked down the rebound in the corner and did not realize the shot clock had been reset. He instinctively threw up a backfoot, turnaround jumper that swished in to the delight of Suns fans.
"I don't think he realized the ball hit the rim so he thought it was a late shot clock," said Booker. "That's a tough shot regardless. Off your right, fading out of bounds, that's tough."
In fact, Paul had been shooting 15 for 40 (37%) on field goals entering Game 4. The veteran knows the ups and downs of shooting and not let his recent struggles affect the way he distributes the ball, still making an impact in the series.
"It would bother any competitor," said Booker. "Even in a win, it's that time of year when you want to win at all cost. Those are open shots and he knows he's supposed to make them."
Despite Paul's struggle with his stroke, the "Point God" was still finding ways to contribute. Paul has accumulated 10, eight and seven assists in the first three games. He added nine assists in the Game 4 win, and has handled the ball with care.
Paul's assist numbers have continued to lead the Suns, and more importantly for Paul he is continuing to average over 35 minutes a game as a 37-year old.
Although Paul's impact hasn't necessarily been in the scoring category, his control of the game is noticeable. Paul's five total turnovers over four games has also helped the Suns not only on the offensive side but also defensively, forcing the Clippers to generate their own offense with two of their stars out of the game.
If the Suns continue to limit the turnovers, the Clippers are forced to generate offense in a half-court look instead of fast break opportunities. This is an important factor that has led the Suns to a 3-1 series lead.
"Just playing this game for a long time we learn different ways," said Paul. "I've never played with this much talent."
Paul has settled into his role this year nicely as a distributor even through the battles of injury and a declining shooting clip. His play during this playoff stretch will be critical for the Suns as his tertiary scoring threat can boost the Suns past teams, much like the 12 he had in a close battle on Saturday.
"I'm just grateful for his mental stamina in these types of environment where he's missing shots one game and he comes back next game and just does what Chris does," said head coach Monty Williams.
Williams also understands the experience that Paul carries, during a critical timeout in the third quarter during a Clipper run, Williams let the players do most of the talking to reset their mental clocks and check back in fundamentally. Paul was among one of the players to speak and reiterate the mental reset.
Paul doesn't seem to be fazed with his recent struggles and in fact, seems to take the challenge in stride. If he finds some confidence, combined with this mellow demeanor, Paul can be an asset for this year's Suns championship run. Whether Paul is playing well or not, one thing is for certain; he's going to give it all he's got to win his first championship with this Suns team.
"I know how badly he wants to play well," said Williams. "That's not a concern."
