"It was 18 seconds on the clock and I was still on their a**" - Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul on how they completed their sweep of the Denver Nuggets | 2021 NBA Playoffs
Chris Paul starred in the Phoenix Suns' 4-0 sweep of the Denver Nuggets on Sunday as he orchestrated a masterful 125-118 victory in Game 4 of their semifinals matchup in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The Suns are now on their way to the Western Conference Finals.
When asked about how he pushed his team to finish off the Denver Nuggets, Chris Paul said:
"It was 18 seconds on the clock and I was still on their a--."
After seeing Chris Paul’s jumper repeatedly fall through the net on Sunday, TNT’s Chris Haynes asked the Phoenix Suns star how important the mid-range game is to basketball, considering NBA teams’ fetish for the three-pointer. Paul, who didn’t take a single three-point shot in the game, said:
“It’s important to me. Some years ago, when I played with the Clippers, the whole league went to this drop defense. ‘If that’s what y’all gonna give up, I’m gonna try to perfect it.’
“But it’s not about that. I’m so grateful to my family, my team. A couple of years ago, they were writing me off, ‘He can’t do this.’ This ain’t about me, it’s about us. It shows you what you can do when you come together as a team. We’ve got a great team over there and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of it.”
Chris Paul dissected the Denver Nuggets’ defense with precision in Game 4. The Phoenix Suns superstar was 6-of-6 in the third quarter, making 11 consecutive field goals from the second quarter all the way to the fourth. However, he missed a jumper from the baseline late in the game.
The Phoenix Suns outscored the Denver Nuggets 33-28 in the third quarter, with Chris Paul taking charge.
The 11-time All-Star finished with a game-high 37 points on a sizzling 14-of-19 (73.7%) shooting from the field, with three rebounds and seven assists.
Devin Booker, Chris Paul’s co-star in the Phoenix Suns’ backcourt, was right behind him with 34 points and 11 rebounds.
Chris Paul on what Nikola Jokic’s ejection meant to the Phoenix Suns
Late in the third quarter, with the Phoenix Suns up 83-75, Nikola Jokic took a swipe at the ball that was on Cameron Payne’s hands. However, he accidentally hit Payne in the face, earning a flagrant foul 2 and automatic ejection.
Chris Paul spoke about the incident in the postgame interview with Haynes. He said:
“It’s a tough team over there. With Joker, without him, they’re well-coached, they play hard, they compete. And we knew once Joker went out that was just gonna open the door for a lot of other guys so we just tried to stay the course.”
The Denver Nuggets tried to mount a rally after Jokic’s ejection, but Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns just had too much firepower. The Suns will now face the winner of the Utah Jazz-LA Clippers series in the Western Conference Finals.
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