For the first time in a while, the blazing-hot Suns faced real adversity.
After losing Devin Booker to a hamstring injury in a tough Game 2 loss to the Pelicans, it seemed Phoenix was about to be put on the ropes. Perhaps the NBA’s top pure two-guard, Booker was their best player — their MVP.
With the first-round series shifting to New Orleans, how could the Suns possibly hope to win against a scrappy Pelicans squad (+2.5 favorites) without their most important player? They couldn’t. Another dream year for the Suns was ruined by terrible luck at the worst possible time.
But wait a minute. Chris Paul still plays for the Suns.
In a back-and-forth thriller, Phoenix — sans Booker — survived the Pelicans’ best shot on Friday in a 114-112 win to take back the series lead.
And they did it thanks to Chris Paul putting on a point guard show.
14 assists, 0 turnovers for Chris Paul tonight. Almost had as many assists as the Pelicans (17).
Oh, and 19 points in the fourth quarter.
— Justin Phan (@jphanned) April 23, 2022
Let me restate this for emphasis: One (1) Phoenix player had almost as many assists as the Pelicans combined and didn’t turn the ball over once. Oh, and he scored 19 of his team’s 33 total points in the final stanza of a two-point win.
A flat-out incredible road performance in dire straits. But then again, we’ve come to expect nothing less from the man they call CP3.
Paul finished the game with 28 points, 14 assists, four boards, a steal, and shot 10-of-18 from the field. He is 36 years old, and still capable of greatness as a floor general in the most significant moments.
Chris Paul finished with 28 assist in his last 2 games (including Friday), the most in a 2-game playoff span without a turnover & 2nd most in any 2-game span (reg. season or postseason) since the stat became official in 1977-78 pic.twitter.com/2pZhVj0hrz
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 23, 2022
I might be crazy, but something tells me this old guard isn’t going to let a legitimate title shot dissipate in the first round just because of one injury.
The Suns are back in control. Let me rephrase that: Chris Paul is back in control.
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