Chris Paul will turn 37 in a couple weeks, but the Phoenix Suns' veteran floor general hasn't looked or performed to his age. He actually made NBA playoff history on Sunday night, becoming the oldest player to record 30 points and 10 assists in the Suns' 110-99 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 1 of their first-round series. The record had belonged to Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash, who was also 36 and leader of the Suns (2010).
A little more than half of Paul's 30 points came during a five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter, as he scored 17 to squash New Orleans' hopes of an upset. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Paul is just the fifth player in NBA history with 10 career playoff games of 30 and 10, joining legends LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Jerry West, and Oscar Robertson. In addition, Paul scored or assisted on 23 of the West-favorite Suns' 31 fourth-quarter points.
"They have so much confidence in themselves, that they just don't lose their heads. And when the other team thinks that they've got one over on them in the second or third quarter, the Suns just go, 'That's okay,'" SB Nation writer Dave King told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Monday. "They doubled up the rest of the league in plus-minus in the fourth quarter this season with over 200 points... They've embodied Chris Paul.
"Paul finally has his muses. This is his team. He's been an MVP candidate for every one of those teams, and the Suns are finally his muse. They're soaking up everything he wants to teach them. And they're embodying leading with Devin Booker, embodying the Chris Paul mentality. Last season, Devin Booker was good in the clutch. This year, he's incredible in the clutch. They're all just growing into mini Chris Pauls out there."
Phoenix, which owns a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, will play Game 2 on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET tip) at Footprint Center. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Suns currently have a 94-percent chance to advance to the semis, a 48-percent chance to reach the NBA Finals for the second straight season, and a 23-percent chance to win their first-ever championship.
The entire Suns conversation between King and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.