Point God Activated: Chris Paul Goes Absolutely Nuts In 4th Quarter to Blast Suns Past Pelicans In Game 1

Christian Petersen. Getty Images.

Chris Paul turns 37 in May. He also doesn't give a fuck about your feelings, or a New Orleans Pelicans Game 1 comeback bid. That was put to rest REAL QUICK in the fourth quarter, when CP3 went full Point God on the poor Pels.

After New Orleans outscored Phoenix 37-26 in the third quarter to cut the score to 78-71, Paul subbed in and proceeded to wage a personal war on the upstart, double-digit underdogs. Paul made all seven of his field goal attempts and scored 19 points in the last quarter to drive the Suns to a 110-99 triumph.

Look at the wily ole veteran splashing in his third consecutive 3-pointer, and then hitting a hapless defender with a little hesi move to the hoop:

What is this man ON?!

No matter where CP3 goes — the Clippers, Rockets, Thunder, Suns — every time he's changed teams, the culture of those organizations has completely changed for the better. They've gone from laughingstocks to at least playoff teams, if not championship contenders. Now, Paul has the Suns as the front-runners to win it all this postseason.

Advertisement

Paul keeps serving of roundball master classes even with all the wear and tear on his body. It's unbelievable. What else can you even say?

You better believe Ja Morant took note of how the old-timer was getting down. Morant and the Grizzlies got punched in the mouth in their Game 1 loss to Minnesota. Wild to see how CP3 continues to inspire the next generation of superstars.

Yeah the Suns definitely look like the deserving title favorites after this weekend. It was a quick turnaround for the play-in teams, yet there was also an extended break for teams like Phoenix who'd earned the extra rest. There were no signs of rust early on, but when the Suns took their foot off the gas and let New Orleans back in the game, Paul was there to nip that in the bud.

I don't even like CP3's on-court demeanor for the most part. He's a bit gamesmanship-y, and by a bit I mean a lot. He takes cheap shots that go uncalled that would be called on 99.99% of other players. The way he flops around — I'll never extract that DeMarcus Cousins bullshit from my cranium — it's flat-out annoying.

Advertisement

I can somehow overlook all that because Chris Paul is the truth. The last legendary pass-first point guard going right now. Uncommon longevity, persevering through numerous injuries and not-quite's in the playoffs. Mad respect to this man. He could've retired to a castle made entirely of cash like three seasons ago. Instead, he continues to push himself and improbably extend his career while still playing some of his best, smartest basketball.