In Game 6 of the series, the Suns defeated the Pelicans 115-109 to advance to the semifinals 4-2. The Suns were all excited after the game, not only to qualify, but also because there were still a few days to cultivate before the second round of the battle with the Lone Rangers. In particular, Booker forced a comeback while his hamstrings had not yet fully recovered, and his performance was indeed unsatisfactory, although he still hit a desperate three-pointer at the crucial moment. But this Booker has not yet reached the best, his movement and explosiveness are still affected, fortunately Paul successfully ended the series.
With 33 points and eight assists on 14-of-14 shooting, setting a record for the first shot in playoff history, Paul hardened again at key moments. The Pelicans did work hard, they were 10 points ahead at one point, but Paul pressed that St. Paul button and we knew the game was over from that point on. This is not surprising, and it was also true of Paul in the year of the Rockets. In games where he only needs to win one more game to advance, Paul often has amazing performances. In 2018, he played jazz semifinals g5 Paul slashed 40+ points and led the team to the final. Western Conference Finals G5 Paul vs. Soar Curry, also pressed that switch, and finally won the Battle of King Mountain to give the Rockets a 3-2 lead, but unfortunately the hamstring was strained.
In the 21st semifinals against the Nuggets G4, Paul shot 14 of 19, shot 9 of 9 from the free throw line, and slashed 37 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals, including 6 of 6 in the third quarter, and scored 12 points to reach the Western Conference Finals. He proved that he didn't rely entirely on Harden to play in the Western Conference Finals, and this time he had to touch the Western Conference Finals floor himself. At such an old age, Paul can still have such a heroic performance, which is really a terrible energy contained in a height of 1.83 meters.
In terms of statistics, the Suns had 13 points in addition to Paul, Ayton had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists on 10-of-12 shooting, Bridges had 18 points and Johnson had 13 points. Pelicans Ingram had 21 points and 11 assists, Jones 16 points, McCollum continued to pull the crotch to score 16 points, Nance Jr. scored 15 points, Alvarado went all out to get 11 points, 4 assists and 2 steals, and Varan had 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. For the sun, it was a divine stroke to get Paul, and of course Paul went to the sun in his own providence. At the peak of the Rockets, he was swept out by the team, but God still sent Paul an 18 Rocket configuration.
The current Sun configuration is built exactly according to the 18 Rockets, Paul or Paul, Booker is Harden, Bridges is Ariza, Crowder is Tucker, and Ayton is Capela. Compared with 18 years, Paul's strength has definitely dropped a lot, but his thinking is also more mature than in the past. After Paul was kicked out by the Rockets, he re-recognized his position. He began to increase the no-ball projection and try to give up the young man as much as possible in the right to shoot, which made thunder leader Alexander and now Booker feel at ease. Harden and Paul are not incompatible, but encounter Cosmic Courage.
If the Warriors are removed in 18 years, the Rockets' record and overall strength that year are stable championships. So you can't say that the light bulb combination is a failure, harden and Paul combination, Booker and Paul combination. The biggest difference between these two pairs is the compatibility of the ball style. Booker's no-ball play itself does not require possession of the ball, which is more reasonable to partner with Paul. The two bulb masters of possession are also very strong in building an infinite team flow system, but both need to control the ball, and it is sometimes difficult to agree on the tactical concept. However, the Rockets' use of two first-round picks and two first-round swaps plus Paul in exchange for Westbrook is indeed a loss of mind.
This year, Westbrook was angrily criticized by the Lakers, believing that the team used Kuzma, Pop Harrell and a first-round substitution of Westbrook to lose to his grandmother's family. But few people know that the Rockets are much worse than the Lakers. The better Paul performed, the more the Rockets' trade was engraved on the shame list. If after the 19-year semifinals G6 lost to the Warriors, the Rockets owner did not choose to dismantle the team, but let the light bulb continue to fight to retain the basic set, perhaps the Rockets have the hope of winning a championship. In the 19-20 and 20-21 seasons, the original team with Paul, Harden, Tucker, Capela and Gordon, facing the league that did not use the cosmic courage, is expected to win the championship. Because the Rockets' first-round picks are still there, they can keep these 5 basic sets, and then use the draft picks to draw a young wing to eat dividends, unfortunately, sigh.