Countless times last season Chris Paul took over in clutch time for the OKC Thunder leading to the team being one of the best Cinderella stories of the 2019-2020 season. The man dubbed “The Point God” may only have played a single season with the Thunder but his effect still resonates.
CP3’s fingerprints and impact on the young players were fully on display particularly at season start. During the opening segment of the schedule Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley and Isaiah Roby were competing in the same manner they did the season prior.
Preseason, the Thunder was earmarked by analysts and opponents as the easy victory. Instead, the habits the young quartet learned under Paul’s tutelage were intact. That resulted in the young squad pushing teams to clutch time and often winning matches they were supposed to lose. The tide turned with SGA’s injury and buy-in to tanking but the DNA is still very much a part of their character.
Former OKC Thunder captain Chris Paul cements Conference Final berth
The final Thunder game of the season was almost a month ago (May 18th) which means fans won’t get to see any semblance of the team until Summer League August 8th to 17th. In between, there are individuals on the roster who could participale in Qualifying Tournaments (June 29th to July 4th) or Toyko Olympics (July 23rd to August 8th).
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Until then those of us who are pining for live action have to suffice with the teams still active in the Assocation. As of Sunday, that group is narrowed to seven with six clubs requiring two or three wins to secure their Conference Finals berths.
The Suns are the only team who has booked their ticket and a very big reason why Phoenix swept the Nuggets is because of the former OKC Thunder captain Chris Paul.
Thankfully, Paul overcame the shoulder injury he sustained in Round 1 and has been masterful in leading the Suns. His piece d’ resistance came on Sunday in the closeout match as he scored 37 points (25 in the second half) shooting 14 of 19 from the field.
In a deja vu scenario, CP3 repeatedly stopped any Nuggets runs by taking over but unlike most games he became the primary scoring option. It was his largest scoring output since 2018. He also moved into 13th all-time for playoff assists.
Having CP3 still in the mix to cheer for has increased the excitement of this postseason. And, just like his year spent in OKC the Point God is giving everyone reason to believe anything is possible.