NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CLIPPERS VS. SUNS

June 26, 2021

Chris Paul

Phoenix Suns

Game 4: Postgame

Phoenix Suns - 84, Los Angeles Clippers - 80

Q. Can you take us through the emotions of that fourth quarter and what's it like to be one win away from playing for a NBA title?

CHRIS PAUL: Hey, it was a lot. It was a lot. It was emotional, it was loud. Tired. Book fouled out, I didn't even realize it. Just how our team been all year long. Showing that grit and fight and staying together.

Q. The difference in these games is so tight. What do you think it is about your team that when the margin is so razor thin you guys are getting all those little fine edges?

CHRIS PAUL: Just poise, just poise and the togetherness. That ball can bounce either way, and I think a lot of times teams are reflective of their coach and Monty is, you know, goal oriented all season long. In practice we are watch, talking about box-outs, talking about end-of-game situations, and we'll take it, we'll take it tonight.

Q. We always talk about poise with you. I've seen you hit a lot of those free throws in this building over the years. That guy back there, people say he has that same kind of poise too. Have you noticed that coming in this year?

CHRIS PAUL: No, I knew that. It ain't about noticing that. I watch a lot of basketball, and so it's a lot of really good players in our league that don't always get the opportunity to show what they can do. I've known Book since before his rookie year, and like we know each other know each other. And we play against each other we almost fight, and that's because I know how competitive he is and that's why I think this has worked because there's no ego from either one of us. At the end of the day we just want to win.

Q. You've played a lot of basketball in your career, have you ever seen a stretch where neither team can make a shot, intentional missed free throw, have you ever been a part of anything like that?

CHRIS PAUL: Probably not. I think I was 14, 15 fourth quarter -- I got a free throw to end the game, then I missed it. But then I got a chance to do it again. It was a crazy emotional game. The fans were great and it's good. It's good to get that win and now going back home, going back home. I didn't get a chance to feel that energy in Game 1 and 2. I was at the crib with my family. So I'm excited to go back to Phoenix. I ain't been to Phoenix in a while.

Q. Can you start to envision the Finals?

CHRIS PAUL: Not until the job is done. Not until the job is done. We can talk about all that then, but right now it's just laser focus. Three wins don't win the series, so right now we did what we came here to do, we wanted to get one of these, and now we got to stay focused and be ready to go back to our crowd.

Big shout out to the Phoenix fans. Our trainer showed us the arena. I didn't know they did like a viewing party, so that's super duper dope and we need one more win.

Q. You've been in so many clutch moments in your career, but in this type of game how have you learned to calm your mind, and just what was the process to like get to that point where you are so poised in those moments?

CHRIS PAUL: I was mad I missed them middies that could have put us up by five or seven, but it's so crazy when I went to the free throw line I thought about my son. I talk to my son all the time about the importance of shooting free throws. And he's really getting into basketball now, and he's training and he texted me earlier today telling me about his game this morning. And I seriously went to the free throw line and I was like, how the hell I'm going to tell him to stay poised if I don't do it my damn self (laughter).

So that's what was dope is after the game, looking up there in the suite and seeing my son excited.

Q. In the fourth quarter where things were spiraling for you guys, you kept defending on the other end. Monty talks about poise all the time, did you feel like that really shined through in those moments, when you guys were able to quickly grab some rebounds?

CHRIS PAUL: Absolutely, man. DA and the way he was in there battling and getting rebounds, and Jae got a big steal down there when I think they hit Zubac, and I thought he's about to get a dunk, and then the ball just magically appeared. So that's trust. It's a lot, man. It's been an emotional year for everybody, not just our team but especially our team, guys, family things and all this. So it's definitely been a process and we are having fun.

Q. You said the job isn't done. A few years ago you were in this position where were you one win away from getting to the NBA Finals. With that in your background, is there a new perspective that you have since there?

CHRIS PAUL: Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens for a reason. Don't dwell on things, you always remember, but I'm here now, excited about this opportunity and all I can worry about right now is Game 5.

Q. You alluded to this earlier but how much of a difference did DA's defensive presence make for you guys tonight?

CHRIS PAUL: Man, shoot around this morning DA told me, he says, C, you stay out there, I got all this in here. You know? And I said, all right, big fella, you got it. You got it. And to see his growth, man, I get goose bumps seriously, man. We didn't, we done had some heated conversations this season especially earlier in the season but, man, I genuinely love him. The person that he is and to see everything that's coming to him, national audience getting to see who he is and why he's the No. 1 pick, I couldn't be happier for him.

Q. On that note about Deandre, before you joined the Suns what were your impressions of his game from afar and you mentioned that you had heated conversations. What was that like?

CHRIS PAUL: I might be dating myself a little bit but I coached against DA. On my AAU team, Team CP3, I coached against DA in the EYBL, you know what I mean? That was sort of my experience. We smacked them one time and then one time he got at us, but didn't know much about him, and I just had to try to build a relationship with him. And to see where we're at now, like I said it's been a journey and I'm happy we are all doing this together.

Q. You have seen some pretty weird stuff in the playoffs. What has it been like watching your team handle the lob, watch you guys kind of navigate a pretty crazy fourth quarter, what does it say about you who has never even been in this position?

CHRIS PAUL: It says a lot, man. It says a lot. Still like I said, we got a ways to go, but everybody always talks about oh it's a young team, it's a young team. I think back to when I first got into the playoffs, sometimes it's best like that because you are just hooping. You ain't thinking about all this and that. And we got to -- we got a young team but with some old souls. Especially Book. He like an old man. He's the oldest 24-year-old I ever met in my life. You see him with all his old schools and all that, but the biggest thing is he knows the game. He knows the game. He watches every game every night, just like me. And so it's cool to be on this journey with Mikal Bridges, all this, Cam Payne, who’s been unbelievable. We are just next-man-up type of team.