Phoenix Suns win NBA-leading 30th game behind Chris Paul's triple-double
PHOENIX - Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns have become some of the best in the league. That's a big reason for him to reach 30 wins this season, ahead of any other team in the NBA.
Paul had a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Suns improved to 25-0 on Thursday night after beating the LA Clippers 106-89 after three quarters.
As always, 36-year-old Paul was a master at making big plays to shut down the Clippers in the last minute. He hit a crucial 3-pointer and made five assists in the fourth quarter.
"The biggest issue with some teams is that they don't know what they want to race or who they want to go down," Paul said. "I think we have a good understanding of it. We know what our go-to plays are."
The Suns advanced one game to Golden State for the best record in the league. They have won three straight and four out of five. Despite this, several players have been missing this season, including All-Star guard Devin Booker.
"I think the players have done a great job of moving our culture forward," Sons coach Monty Williams said. "We have unrealistic guard play, which really helps."
Paul continues to look 26 instead of 36, doing everything he can to keep the Sons among the league's elite. His 13 rebounds were his 1,128th regular-season NBA game at a career-high.
Cam Johnson added a career-high 24 points, and Jalen Smith - second year ahead, whose playing time has recently been significantly extended due to the Sun's COVID-19 issues - has another good game with 19 points and 14 rebounds Was.
"We are having a lot of fun playing together," Johnson said. "Things are starting to click."
Those performances helped make up for a rough night for Booker, who took just 5 of 22 off the field and finished with 11 points. He was 0 out of 7 on 3-pointers.
Williams said center Deandre Ayton, forward Jay Crowder and Javelle McGee have cleared the league's COVID-19 protocols but have been out of play as they work to get back in shape. Guard Landry Shemet is still in protocol.
The Clippers fell below .500 at 19-20, despite former Sons forward Marcus Morris Sr. Reggie Jackson's season-high 26 points. 16 were added. The Clippers included guards Luke Kennard and Javier Moon as well as center Ivica Zubac, due to COVID-19 protocols.
"We scrapped and competed," said Clippers coach Tyrone Lew. "He's a good ball club over there and he played well. His stars took over the vibe and took over the game."
The Sons took a 17-point lead in the middle of the third quarter, but the Clippers reduced it to 73-66 in the next few minutes. The Sons took a 75-66 lead in the final quarter.
The clippers were drawn on 79-76 with 8:36 when Amir Coffey converted a three-point game after making a layup while being fouled. But Sun responded with the next six points and slowly faded away.
The Sons jumped to a 56-40 halftime lead after outscoring the Clippers for 15 in the second quarter. Johnson led the Suns with 17 points before the break. Morris had 13 runs for the Clippers.
