"Team that missed 27 straight threes" - Chris Paul takes cold swipe at James Harden-era Houston Rockets team
Chris Paul made his Golden State Warriors debut against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Warriors missed Draymond Green and fell 108-104 in a close loss. Paul had a well-distributed stat line, scoring 14 points while recording nine assists, six rebounds and two steals.
Paul shot 4-of-15 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range. He was not the only Warrior to shoot poorly in the opener. The team went 10-of-43 from downtown. The Splash Brothers of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson went a combined 7-of-25 from 3-point range.
Paul is not too worried about the cold shooting night. He has a bit of experience with much worse.
“I ain’t really worried about the shooting. I’ve been on a team that missed 27 straight threes,” Paul said. “I don’t think that’s going to be the case over here with the shooters that we got.”
The legendary point guard is referring to his time alongside James Harden with the Houston Rockets. His team missed 27 straight threes in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference finals against the Warriors.
Golden State went on to win 101-92 and send the Rockets home on the way to another NBA title. Paul missed the game with an injury and was forced to watch his team throw up brick after brick.
Paul and the Rockets again lost to the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals the following season in 2019. Golden State dispatched them in six games. Now Paul joins the team that sent him home in the playoffs multiple times.
Chris Paul's fit on the Warriors
Chris Paul and the Warriors struggled to shoot. However, they still played well defensively despite missing Draymond Green. The team was in the game until the last minute despite the cold night and only 27 points from Curry.
Paul seemed undeterred by the slow start and liked the team's chemistry. That is major since many critics thought he could be an ill fit for the long-established Warriors system.
“I will live with the shots we get every night,” Chris Paul said. “But it is promising because one thing about teams is you can tell the spirit. Spirit is something you can’t hide. One of the things I am excited about is the spirit is right.”
Chris Paul and the Warriors will look to bounce back in their next game. They will make the short trip to Sacramento on Friday to play the Kings. It will be an exciting rematch of the first round of last year’s playoff series when Golden State beat the No. 2 seed Kings.