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Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul is reported to have been unique in keeping his teammates at bay during the Suns’ first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans.
During Friday’s episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Windhorst said Paul instituted a curfew on his teammates during street games in New Orleans.
Noting that the edict came directly from CP3 and not the coaching staff, Windhorst urged the players to be back at the hotel by a specific time.
While Windhorst isn’t sure when the curfew was in place, Paul reportedly had hotel rooms set up for him and his teammates to watch other NBA playoff games and play cards.
The team has appeared to have responded well to the lockdown as the Suns won the series 4-2 after tying the first two games at home. Phoenix finished out New Orleans with a 115-109 win on Thursday night.
Paul, 36, was the driving force behind Phoenix’s streak that ended with 33 points on 14-of-14 shooting and eight assists and five rebounds.
One of the greatest point guards in NBA history, Paul is a surefire future given his 12 All-Star nominations, 10 All-NBA selections, nine NBA All-Defensive honors, six steals titles and four assists titles Hall of Famer and 2005-06 NBA Rookie of the Year honors.
He also ranks third in the NBA’s all-time assists list with 10,977 and fourth in all-time steals with 2,453.
Perhaps the only major accomplishment missing from Paul’s resume is an NBA championship, which he would have painfully narrowly won last year.
Phoenix held a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in last season’s NBA Finals, only for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks to rush back and win the title four straight years.
Paul and the Suns played as one team on one mission in the 2021-22 regular season, going 64-18 for the NBA’s best record after eight games.
The Suns faced some adversity in the first round of the playoffs this season and overcame it by going three games without Devin Booker due to a hamstring injury, but he returned for Game 6 and should be available in the second round.
With Paul ensuring his team is locked down, the Suns should be well-prepared for their second-round streak against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, which begins Monday night.