Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple double since the All-Star Break, but he almost had the wrong kind of triple-double on Wednesday night, after turning the ball over 10 times in a 120-108 Clippers win in Oklahoma City.
The biggest reason for the Clippers’ dominating performance was their own Point Gawd, Chris Paul. CP3 scored a game-high 33 points on an efficient 11-of-19 shooting from the field, and added nine dimes.
After spending some time getting treatment after the game, there was a hand-written note at Paul’s locker when he came back from the trainer’s room:
“CP MVP of the game :)”
But he doesn’t care about getting ignored with MVP claptrap while Russ dominated opponents in February. All that matters is #Ringz, buying in to the same tired narrative that’s followed every NBA superstar who has failed to kissed the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of June.
Per ESPN LA:
“It don’t matter,” Paul said of being shut out from the MVP conversation. “I just need to win a championship. You can have whatever else. I don’t care. You can have the assists and steals titles, you can have all that. I just need to win a championship.”
Whether it was Paul, J.J. Redick, a very active Matt Barnes or some other Clippers defender, the strategy to cut off the head of the snake of the Thunder, by blitzing Russ, helped the Clippers comfortably end Oklahoma City’s seven-game home winning streak.
Paul hasn’t been included in MVP discussions, but he should be. The Clippers point guard has led the team to a 9-4 record since losing Blake Griffin, including wins over probable playoff foes: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Memphis, Chicago and now Oklahoma City.
Paul is the biggest reason why, spearheading the league’s most potent offensive group. The Clippers score 114.1 points per 100 possessions when Paul is on the floor, but only 97.0 when he’s on the bench. That’s difference between the top offense in the league and the second-worst. A differential that wide is astounding, and the biggest reason Paul should absolutely get his name floated into one of the most crowded MVP races we can remember.
Then there was this line from J.J. Redick after the game:
“Twenty or 30 years from now, I’ll tell people I played with one of the greatest point guards in the world ever.”
Sounds about right.
[ESPN LA]
