Jalen Green takes shot at Chris Paul over in-game calls: “That’s the ultimate trickster in the league”
Chris Paul has been able to get away with a few calls in his career due to his ability to convince the referees. Houston Rockets youngster Jalen Green playfully called him out, saying he is the ultimate trickster.
The Rockets pulled off an unexpected 111-97 win against the Phoenix Suns in their last outing on Tuesday. With that victory, they extended their winning streak to two following their 97-92 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Green has been leading the charge for the Rockets (9-18) and is the primary reason for their improved play. He was crucial for the Rockets late in the game, forcing a turnover on CP3.
Green, a second-year player, spoke about how thrilled he was to pull one over Paul. He spoke about how CP3 has the referees on his side, and how great it was to force the veteran to travel.
"That's the ultimate trickster in the league," Green said in a video tweeted by Michael Shapiro. "He be having the refs on his side. He controls the whole game. I didn't really think of it like that. I was just trying to make sure we put the game away."
Jalen Green appears proud of forcing a Chris Paul travel tonight:
“That’s the ultimate trickster in the league. He be having the refs on his side, he controls the whole game.” https://t.co/ZkhpgcHMch
Over the years, Paul, now in his 18th season, has mastered the art of getting the calls he wants. His basketball IQ has made him a floor general, which has been a big boost for every team he has played for.
Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns are freefalling
For the first time this season, the Suns (16-12) have lost five consecutive games, four of which were double-digit losses. Two of their losses were against the New Orleans Pelicans, which many believe might be the start of a rivalry.
Meanwhile, CP3 has struggled since returning from injury. The future Hall of Famer missed 14 games, during which the Suns went 9-5. Although the Suns were atop the Western Conference standings barely two weeks ago, they are now fourth.
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Their poor play could be attributed to Devin Booker's decline in performance. The All-Star guard was having an MVP season but has struggled from the field in his last three outings. Booker has averaged 14 points in his last three games and shot 31.9%.
There is still plenty of time for the Suns to turn things around ahead of the playoffs. Although they did not come into the season as championship contenders, they would be one of the teams to beat if they make it to the playoffs.
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