‘Classic’ Chris Paul Explosion the Latest Reminder of Point God’s Greatness

Throughout the first half of the Phoenix Suns’ 110-99 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 1 of their Western Conference first round series, full domination was evident on both ends of the court.

Not only were the Suns doing whatever they wanted offensively, their defense was stymieing the Pelicans to the point where only 34 first half points were allowed.

A true masterclass ongoing, slippage began to occur midway through the third quarter. All of a sudden, a 16-5 run from New Orleans cut their lead to eight closing out the period. 

The main reason for said slippage? Chris Paul wasn’t in the game for a four-minute stretch where Phoenix’s offense fell off a cliff.

The future NBA Hall of Fame point guard was doing surgical work on the Pelicans’ defense, easily setting up teammates while fighting through on-ball pressure from impressive rookie wing Herb Jones. Paul finished with 10 assists and was an outstanding perimeter defender as always, but a scoring explosion occurred when the Suns put their foot back on the gas pedal. 

Paul scored 19 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, which included a stretch where the 36-year-old scored or assisted on 19 consecutive points for Phoenix.

Chris Paul is the only player in NBA history above age-35 to score 30+ points and dish 10+ assists in a playoff game.

CP3’s 37th birthday is in less than three weeks. pic.twitter.com/ZheES7v8HT

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 18, 2022

With Paul running the show, Phoenix has been nearly unstoppable since his arrival. When Paul sets up his teammates while also finding his own shots with ease, it’s game over for the opposition. 

That’s exactly what happened on Easter Sunday in Phoenix, providing another memorable moment for Paul’s illustrious career.

Suns head coach Monty Williams, who has an already special bond with Paul, walked us back through this offensive surge from the veteran when the Suns needed it most.

Time and again, Paul made the right read after a pick-and-roll.

“He had a hot hand,” Williams said postgame. “He was knocking down shots, and then a couple times he just got to the basket. The team set up, and having the shooters around him allows for him to get to the paint, and (Deandre Ayton) and JaVale diving puts a lot of pressure on the rim.

“But that’s classic Chris. At the right time, he takes over.”

Chris Paul has scored or assisted on 15 straight points for the Suns to bring their lead back above double-digits.

Point God clutch mode activated.

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 18, 2022

Williams is right on the money there. Classic Chris indeed, and Paul was throwing daggers through the Pelicans’ defense to the point where any potential solution feels unrealistic. Paul has already found a lot of New Orleans’ biggest weaknesses, which is big trouble for this series potentially being competitive past four or five games max.

“I mean, I’ve seen it a ton,” Williams said. “Our local media is probably sick of me saying it, but it’s something I’m grateful for. It’s not a play call, it’s not an X-and-O thing. It’s his ability to understand when he needs to take over a game.

“I don’t think I’ve been around anybody like Chris, just has that innate feel for that time. He does a really good job of not injecting himself into the game when he hadn’t had a shot. He has a feel for when the offense is a bit stagnant, or we turned it over, or we just didn’t get good shots and then he just goes into his mix and has the ability to get his own shot or find guys in an environment where they can score. It’s just his ability. He’s just a great basketball player.  Not just a great point guard, but a great basketball player.”

Devin Booker, who has helped form arguably the most dynamic backcourt in Suns franchise history, shares a similar mindset to Paul. It’s why the CP3-Booker pairing was always a beautiful one from the jump. 

Now, on the postseason stage, Booker knows how badly Paul wants to add the missing championship to his legendary resume.

“I mean, that man’s a true competitor, a true winner,” Booker said. “And he wants it that bad. You can see it in his demeanor. You can see it in his walk, so it shouldn’t surprise anybody. He’s built for these moments.”

Paul has been cooking NBA defenses for years now, but these types of moments where the switch officially flips for Paul are still jaw-dropping. The way Paul can operate without any issue against on-ball pressure, even somehow creating picks for himself with two Pelicans on a possession during Sunday’s win, is incredible to witness. 

Good lord, Chris Paul.

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 18, 2022

As Paul continues to age like fine wine, don’t take for granted what Paul is putting together in the Valley. With a young core growing up along the way, this team was built to emphasize the biggest strengths from Paul.

“I don’t know, just taking what the defense gives us,” Paul nonchalantly put it after his Game 1 performance. “When Book’s not in there, we always try to find other ways to score, and that’s playing off one another. I could hear Willie (Green) yell out ‘go under,’ so that means they’re going to go under the ball screen. That’s like inviting me to shoot.”

Trying to find any real adjustment where the Pelicans can contain the Suns’ offense led by Paul is truly bleak. If Paul was finding the openings through the pressure, it’s game over for New Orleans.

Suns are toying with the Pelicans on both ends of the court right now.

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 18, 2022

Paul can score when needed, but how loaded the Suns are puts him in an advantageous position to conserve energy elsewhere. It’s why Phoenix is such a dominant and dangerous team this season compared to everyone else.

Some of Paul’s teammates still are in awe of what he’s accomplishing when the lights are brightest. Easter Sunday saw all NBA fans witness a vintage Paul showcase performance.

“Man, that is the CP3 show. You just got a little taste of it,” Deandre Ayton said postgame about Paul. “He was locked in. He just took advantage of what the defense gave him. There was a lot of switching going on in that quarter, he just took advantage of it. He did what he did best, reading the defense and just attacking. And we trust it.”

When did Paul know he had it going to that degree in Game 1? The soon-to-be 37-year-old’s answer was one glistening with wisdom and experience. It’s all about the flow of the game itself. 

If the script flips to him needing to score, so be it. If he needs to dish out 15 assists, so be it. Paul makes adjustments within the game at a rapid rate, which is what makes him one of the greatest point guards of all-time.

“I’ve been playing for awhile, for a long while to tell you the truth,” Paul said. “I don’t know, I think just naturally you read like if Book got it going, if Cam (Johnson) got it going, if (Deandre Ayton) got it going, it’s whatever. Over the course of a game you just try to keep that energy there, and if that means I got to score, then so be it. 

“And Book and them guys stay on me. They talk to me all the time. Jamal Crawford, fam, one of my teammates, came up to me at halftime and is like ‘Shoot the ball.’ That’s what he said to me and Book when we was standing over there, so I started shooting.”

Dominance has been the main theme all season long for the Suns. Entering into the postseason once more, the urgency is even greater. Even with the target on their back, they play in a manner that makes that idea flip back around. Paul’s leadership and savvy play bring the Suns to levels they’ve never reached before.

If Game 1 was any indication, Suns fans should get their brooms on standby for a potential series sweep soon enough.