Clippers’ Chris Paul is happy with a win, even if he scored only six points
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Chris Paul said he’s all about playing the game the right way.
So when he scored just six points and took just five shots in the Clippers’ 39-point blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, Paul was content with his performance on offense because his team won.
Paul also had a season-high 17 assists, leaving him and his teammates satisfied. He didn’t care that his points were his second-lowest total of the season, topping the five points he scored against the New York Knicks in another Clippers’ blowout in December.
“I don’t go into any game knowing what’s going to happen,” Paul said after the game. “I’ve never been like that my whole career. I just always take what the defense gives me. It’s going to be some nights I take five shots, some nights 25 shots. I don’t even know how many minutes I played tonight. I’m cool.”
Paul played 24 minutes, landing him in select company.
He became just the third player since the 1963-64 season to hand out 17 assists in less than 25 minutes.
The last player to do so?
No less than Clippers Coach Doc Rivers.
“It’s a huge honor to join Doc Rivers in any statistical category,” Paul said, smiling. “That was surprising. I didn’t know how many assists I had. First of all, I didn’t know how long I had played. It’s crazy to think of all the stats. Doc maybe was better than maybe even some of us thought he was.”
Paul even took it in stride when he was not voted into the All-Star game as one of the starting guards for the Western Conference for the second consecutive year.
In order for Paul to play in the All-Star game Feb. 15 in New York, he’ll have to be selected as a reserve by the coaches.
But when the TNT analyst crew of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal predicted who the reserves for the West would be, they didn’t have Paul on their list.
“Those guys get paid pretty good money to give opinions,” said Paul, a seven-time All-Star. “But for me, it’s probably not the first time they did [leave me off]. At the end of the day, all I can do is play.”
Etc.
Rivers said they will sign guard Dahntay Jones to a second 10-day contract. After that contract expires, the Clippers must sign Jones, a 10-year veteran, for the rest of the season or waive him.
Twitter:@BA_Turner
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