Just after his 37th birthday, Paul had the most painful day of his career. The away game against the Lone Ranger, the Sun fell again, and the previous point guard god was fiercely suppressed, playing only 23 minutes before leaving the field with six fouls. The last quarter was a thing of the past, and Paul couldn't even wait for the last quarter to come.
In this year's playoffs, Paul's performance was quite impressive, and he often stepped forward in the final quarter to take over the game. Against the Pelicans, he had a supernatural performance in the final quarter, and even a perfect performance of 14 shots in a single game; in the battle against the Lone Rangers, Paul had a magical moment of victory in the final quarter of more than 4 minutes and 6 shots. But the gods are unpredictable, and it is also Paul.
In the playoffs, Paul has twice played 30+ in a single game, and the number of assists is more frequent in double figures. But at the same time, he also has no shortage of sluggish performances. Against the Pelicans, he shot 2 of 8 and scored 4 points on 0 of 3 three-pointers; against the Lone Ranger today, he only had 5 points, 5 boards and 7 assists on 2-of-4 shooting.
Paul left the field with six fouls, the Suns lost dismally, the 2-0 situation, and the need to conquer The King's Mountain in the blink of an eye. What's even more tragic is that he has also encountered constant trouble off the field. According to media reporters, Paul's mother had physical contact with a young live fan and later pushed paul's wife, a scene witnessed by his children.
Although Paul excitedly warned the other party, these experiences undoubtedly made him feel uncomfortable. In particular, the harm to the family of the Lone Ranger fans, the young children seeing this scene of the dispute, etc., are very uncomfortable for Paul.
In addition, Paul and Harden are often stars tied together to discuss. Coinciding with Harden's big outbreak in the final quarter today, leading Philadelphia to complete a wonderful counterattack to equalize the big score, which also made Paul encounter more questions and discussions.
In the career playoffs, Paul's team led 2-0 a total of four times before being drawn 2-2 by the opponent. In the end, Paul's team was defeated by the opponent for 4 consecutive sets on 3 occasions, and was magically reversed by the opponent 2-4; the other time was dragged into the seventh by the opponent and lost the series 3-4. In short, after being chased 2-0 to a 2-2 draw, Paul's team is difficult to win.
Some people may question the referee's decision, but this will not change the outcome. Paul deliberately searched for a foul, only to suffer an offensive foul; he grabbed Brunson's right wrist, and the small, hidden movements ended up creating a reverse effect. Now that the Sun and the Maverick are back on the same line, Paul must continue to perform as the "God of the Last Quarters."
The day of grief is over. The record of shame is slowly approaching, can 37-year-old Paul break free from the shackles of fate?