McVEIGH PROVES WORTH

Paul fires to earn his finals spot

IMMINENT Adelaide 36er Jack McVeigh showed he was legit at a QBL level in Round 2.

His Rollers claimed a thrilling 92-90 victory over the Spartans as McVeigh, with 30 big points, proved why he is destined for the NBL with Adelaide in the coming seasons.

He even found some time to play in the NBL’s 3x3 Hustle the next day.

He will look to do the same again this weekend against South West Metro. CHRIS Paul didn’t want to talk about his post-season failures, not after Houston’s win on Tuesday over Utah finally got him into the Western Conference finals.

“For us it was just ... they were in the way,” Paul said. “So we were just trying to get another win.”

His Rockets teammates saw it a little differently. They were eager to talk about Paul’s dominant performance, including a playoff career-high 41 points, in a 112-102 victory in Game 5 that eliminated the Jazz.

“He went out there and took over the game,” James Harden said. “(To have) an opportunity for him that he’s never had before. He went to go get it. He put us all on his back and said: ‘Listen, I got us.’”

Paul made eight threepointers and had 10 assists and seven rebounds without a turnover. He’s the first player in playoff history to have at least 40 points and 10 assists without a turnover since turnovers became an official statistic in 1977-78, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

It will be Houston’s second trip to the Western Conference finals in four years and the first ever for Paul.

The point guard, who is in his 13th NBA season, has been panned for failing to get past the second round in his nine previous trips to the playoffs.

Houston will meet Golden State in the conference finals starting on Monday at home.