Paul one win away from elusive NBA Finals
If Chris Paul can see the NBA Finals, he won’t acknowledge it. He can’t waste time daydreaming. He knows better. His long and unlucky postseason career, a bundle of whatifs and almosts, taught him this hard lesson.
So the Phoenix Suns may have a commanding three-games-to-one lead in the Western Conference finals after they escaped with an 84-80 victory Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Their opponent, the Los Angeles Clippers, may seem tuckered out. Paul, 36, may feel closer to the Finals than at any point in his 16 seasons. But it’s not a cozy feeling.
“Not until the job is done,” he said. “Not until the job is done. We can talk about all that then, but right now it’s just laser-focus. Three wins don’t win the series.”
Paul is one victory from the championship round, or more accurately, the Suns are on the brink of special. His fervent pursuit of a title is the emotional
hook, but the entire story of Phoenix’s turnaround this season has become so much richer during this series.
Paul missed the first two games after testing positive for the coronavirus; the Suns won both games.
Since returning, Paul has made only 11 of his 41 shots, a 26.8% clip. Devin Booker, now fiddling with a mask to protect his broken nose, has made just 13 of his last 43 attempts. Still, the Suns are in control because Deandre
Ayton is emerging as a third star, and Coach Monty Williams is making all the right decisions, and their roster, though young, is surprisingly balanced.
They can outscore opponents. They can wrestle their way through defensive battles, such as their Game 4 victory in a 1990s throwback performance. Paul tends to walk the ball up the court now, but the Suns can play fast on occasion. Even though they ranked 26th in pace this season, they still play an athletic style and shouldn’t be underestimated in transition, not with the way Paul sees the court.
Lacking a dynamic floor general, Phoenix traded for Paul last offseason. He was a clear upgrade, but the concern was that the Suns had acquired an aging, $40 million-perseason star who wasn’t guaranteed to elevate them to championship contention. And Paul, a ruthless competitor going back to Wake Forest when he punched Julius Hodge in the groin, has a fire that wears on nearly everyone – foe or teammate – he encounters.
The Suns are hungry. Their core is full of former high draft picks desperate for team success. They play for a franchise that went 10 straight seasons without a playoff appearance and descended from model organization to laughingstock. Paul’s edge motivates them. His attention to detail energizes them.
“That’s really the only teammate that really pushed me,” said Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. “Like, big bro-type push. Knowing what I got and that I ain’t never thought I had. I think he was the best thing that happened to my career.”
Of Ayton, Paul said: “To see his growth, man, I get goose bumps. Seriously, man. We had some heated conversations this season, especially earlier in the season, but, man, I genuinely love him.”