Ask a question, if you were to choose a first-round MVP, who would you choose?
Is it the extremely efficient Butler? Tatum, who also led the team to sweep the Nets? Or the ruling Embiid? Of course, you can also have different answers, such as Chris Paul, and I would not hesitate to vote for him anyway.
Despite the lack of Devon Booker, despite the need to face the most familiar with his own Willy Green, and the Pelicans he led, Paul still laughed to the end, 6 series, 3 god performances, for the young people in their twenties, this may not be a big deal, but he is 37 years old after all, look at the same age Aldridge, Millsap, Ariza, Gibson, it is not easy to continue to fight on the field, let alone lead the team to win.
Next, let's take a look back at paul's 3 first-round series games.
Part 1: Titled Lone Hero, Directed/Written/Starred by Chris Paul
The story takes place in G1, don't look at the Pelicans have only won 36 games in the whole season, but since CJ McCollum joined, this team has changed very obviously in temperament, in February, they not only beat the Suns, but also beat the Jazz and Bulls, in the play-offs, they beat the Spurs and Clippers, the morale of the whole team is particularly high.
So, even in the face of the first sun in the regular season, the Pelicans are not afraid of the field, although the process of the first half is ugly, but in the third quarter, they played a 37:26 score, the point difference was only 8 points, the last quarter came up, the Pelicans continued to chase points, but at this moment, Paul, who had been silent all night, stood up, he used his signature mid-range shot, constantly punishing the Pelicans' two big centers, this quarter, Paul played for 12 minutes, 8 shots 7, 4 of 3 three-pointers, scored 19 points at the same time, also sent 2 assists, Plus 1 steal.
Led by Paul's wave of streams, the Pelicans' counterattack momentum was quickly extinguished, and the score was instantly pulled away to more than 15 points, and the Suns successfully made a good start.
Part II: Title:Turning the Tide, Director/Writer/Starring Chris Paul, Guest Starring: DeAndre Ayton
The story takes place in G3, due to Booker's absence, the heavy responsibility of the team's offensive end, all fell on Paul alone, fortunately, Ayton stepped forward, scored 28 points in the 3rd quarter, plus 11 rebounds, helped the Suns to bite the score, the key 4th quarter, Ayton's physical decline, did not get a point, only grabbed 6 rebounds, just when the Suns were in trouble, the familiar figure appeared again.
With 9 minutes left in the game, Paul once again stood up to take over the game, no matter what kind of killing moves the opponent sacrificed, he took them one by one, and then continued to perform his stunts – shooting, 8 shots, hitting 7 goals, the efficiency was terrifying, this time, the Pelicans only insisted on more than 3 minutes to lose, at the end of the game with 5 minutes left, the Pelicans could not score, and Paul, he was more and more courageous, continued to help the Suns rise in points, this last quarter, Paul scored 19 points, plus 3 rebounds, 2 assists.
With Paul's power to turn the tide, the Suns beat their opponents 114-111 to take a tough win away from home.
Part III: Title :"Control of the Whole Place", director/writer/starring: Chris Paul, guest appearance: Devon Booker
The story takes place in G6, when the Suns, not only holding the match point of the series, but also facing back scorer Booker, in order to avoid the night long dream, they very much hope to solve the battle on the road, this time, Paul did not spare his physical strength, from the first quarter to invest in the attack, although the Pelicans also worked hard enough, but in front of the super god Paul, it is really difficult to resist.
Look at Paul's performance, the whole game, he played 35 minutes, 14 of 14 shots, 4 of 4 from the free throw line, got 33 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, plus 1 steal, becoming the first player in NBA playoff history to shoot 14 all of 14 shots, and the only player to get 30+ with 100% shooting, with Paul's help, the Suns had a thrilling elimination of the Pelicans and reached the Western Conference semifinals.
Ending: These 3 works of the gods are like the script written in advance, one is more wonderful than the other, one is more than one against the sky, especially the ending, it is even more cheerful, like a superhero saving the earth, I hope that this year, Paul can realize his dream, that is the best ending.