Loss most hurts Paul
Guard remorseful that suspension prevented him from being able to help against Clippers
For a moment, Chris Paul tried to blame himself for being “in a situation” that led to his suspension. He could not quite finish the sentence before he had to say that he was placed there when tempers in Saturday’s game in Los Angeles rose to the point Lakers guard Rajon Rondo spit in his face and punches were thrown.
“I try to pride myself (for) trying to stay as poised as possible,” Paul said Tuesday in his first public comments since the incident. “A situation like that, I put myself — I got put in a situation where I got suspended. You try to prevent that at all costs, but …”
When asked how one prevents that given the provocation that came when Rondo spit in his face, Paul said, “I don’t know. Unfortunately, we lost the game I didn’t play against the Clippers. Like I said, I try to, you know. I don’t know.
“Not being out there for my teammates. That was the tough-
est part.”
Paul was suspended for two games. The NBA ruled that Rondo did spit on Paul and, after the Rockets guard poked him in the face, that Rondo punched Paul. Rondo received a three-game suspension. Lakers forward Brandon Ingram, who had pushed James Harden from behind to initiate the incident according to the NBA ruling and later threw punches, received a four-game suspension.
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni objected to the similar lengths of Paul’s and Rondo’s suspensions because the NBA had agreed Rondo spit on Paul and then threw the first punch.
“I don’t agree or anything close to it,” D’Antoni said Sunday of the NBA ruling. “You watch the film, you watch the spit, you understand maybe he gets one (game suspension), but what is he supposed to do? Stand there and get spit on? Take a punch in the face and then, ‘That’s OK?’ ”
Paul on Tuesday would not address the length of the suspensions, but he did seem to agree with his coach that he was understandably provoked.
“I don’t know about all that,” Paul said of the length of the suspensions. “That’s tough. Somebody spit on you. You play this long and that has never happened before. But it is what it is. Now (the Rockets) got to get ready for Utah (on Wednesday), and I got to get ready for the Clippers on Friday.”
Multiple individuals on Saturday in Los Angeles said that a member of Rondo’s family confronted Paul’s wife Jada in the crowd, but Paul, who was visibly angry after the game, would not address that Tuesday.
“I didn’t know anything about that,” Paul said. “I was trying to make sure my family was good.”
Asked what happened in the crowd, “I don’t know. I don’t know. My job is to hoop and make sure my family is good. I’ll handle the situation with my family.”
The confrontation in Los Angeles was not the first involving Paul and Rondo, former All-Stars and two of the four active NBA players to lead the league in assists. In 2009, when Paul played for the New Orleans Hornets and Rondo was with the Boston Celtics, they had to be separated after a game in Boston.
Paul, however, would not say that the history between them played any part in this confrontation.
“I don’t know,” Paul said. “That’s in the past. For me, my job it’s all about getting ready, making sure the fellas are ready for Utah and me getting excited for the game Friday against the CIippers.”
The Rockets lost Sunday’s game against the Clippers without Paul. The Rockets last season were 50-8 in games Paul played and 15-9 in games he missed.
Eric Gordon started with Paul out, scoring 21 points Sunday against the Clippers after averaging 21.5 in 30 games filling in for Paul and Harden as a starter last season.
Paul, however, did see a bright side to having his afternoon free Wednesday when he normally would be preparing to play.
“My daughter has tennis on Wednesdays,” Paul said. “Finally, I’ll get a chance to go to one of her tennis matches. It’s during the day, but usually I’ll be taking my nap. I want my baby to be the next Serena. I’ll get to go to tennis practice tomorrow.”