WIN TOGETHER
Paul transforms scene of greatest failures into trip to NBA Finals
LOS ANGELES — Chris Paul did it. He transformed the scene of some of his greatest disappointments into the site of his greatest success, leading the Phoenix Suns past the LA Clippers to the NBA Finals.
Paul played in LA for six years, giving the Clippers an air of legitimacy the perpetually hapless franchise had never experienced.
But time after time, they faltered in the biggest moments. One year they lost a 3-1 lead in the playoffs. Another year, things fell apart when the team’s owner was caught on tape making racist comments.
Paul left LA as the greatest player in franchise history, and consequently the most disappointing.
“I’m just so happy for all the people around me,” Paul said with tears in his eyes as fans at STAPLES Center looked on.
He talked about how he had gotten close to Billy Crystal, the No. 1 Clippers
fan, and how much respect he had for the people in the organization where he had his best years.
And then he turned his focus to his current squad.
“This group right here,” he said. “This group right here! From Day 1, they welcomed me with open arms … we’ve still got a lot of work to do, but we’re gonna enjoy this.”
‘It’s his will. He never quit.’
Paul hasn’t had an easy road to get to this point.
He’s been in the NBA 16 years without a finals appearance. He was just one game away in 2018, but he couldn’t help his team over the top. He was out for the final two games with a bum hamstring.
In these playoffs, he’s had to play through a shoulder injury against the Lakers. Then he ended up in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 and missing the first two games of the series against the Clippers.
He came back out of rhythm, but he found his stride when it mattered most.
Paul had 41 points and eight assists in leading the Suns to a 130-103 win over the Clippers in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.
He controlled the game in the fourth quarter and kept the Clippers at a distance every time they threatened.
“It’s just who he is,” coach Monty Williams said.
“It’s his will. He never quit. … He’s played through a lot. Injuries. Playoff heartbreak. … I know that’s burned him. If you can learn anything from Chris Paul it’s don’t quit. Keep going.”
It came down to poise.
The Clippers were giving a pretty good scare.
Paul George was trying to take over after coming into Game 6 averaging more than 30 points per game in the series.
His backcourt running mates, Reggie Jackson and Patrick Beverley, were right with him, hitting big shots and playing suffocating defense.
Thanks to this trio, the Clippers seemed to find a way to come back every time it looked like they were out of it.
They dropped the first two games of the series, then came back to win Game 3.
They were down 3-1, but found a way to win Game 5.
They were threatening to send this series to Game 7 with a fourth-quarter run that had the LA crowd sensing an upset.
George ended up with the ball on the wing isolated against Paul. George attacked, then stepped back, causing Paul to lose his balance. George hit the jumper as Paul picked himself up from the ground, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Paul didn’t overreact.
He simply came down and hit a deep 3-pointer as Jackson fouled him. Paul hit the free throw.
‘Can you taste it?’
He would go on to score nine points with an assist in less than 2 minutes.
Beverley — an agitator or a hack, depending on the perspective — couldn’t take it and shoved Paul in the back.
The Suns barely reacted.
There was no bench-clearing brawl. Not tense standoff. Just a bunch of guys in orange stepping up to rally around their teammate.
There was no need to stoop.
“We knew we broke ’em,” Jae Crowder said.
“There’s no better feeling to have.” Crowder has been to the finals before. He was excited for Paul and knew what was coming.
“Can you taste it?” Crowder asked late in the fourth quarter.
Paul couldn’t.
“These close out games are tough,” he said.
He refused to accept it until it was real. It’s real now.
The Suns are in the finals thanks to Chris Paul.
He did it.
The Suns did it.
Together, they transformed the scene of some of Paul’s greatest disappointments into the site of his greatest success.
Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns are headed to the NBA Finals.