PHOENIX SUNS
Suns’ Chris Paul finishes 5th in MVP voting, Nuggets’ Jokic wins award
Jun 8, 2021, 5:11 PM | Updated: 8:28 pm
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) passes as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) defends during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Monday, June 7, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul finished fifth in MVP voting, the NBA announced Tuesday.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won the award.
Paul received the third-most first-place votes with two. Jokic got 91 of the 100 while Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry added five. New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose oddly got the last, a ballot that was voted on by the fans.
Chris Paul finished 5th in MVP voting.
All the votes he got:
1st – 2
2nd – 2
3rd – 8
4th – 13
5th – 26— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) June 8, 2021
Trailing Jokic in the voting were Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Curry, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul.
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Paul played a part in a huge turnaround for the Suns, who went 34-39 last season and improved to 51-21 this season.
The 36-year-old point guard averaged 16.4 points and 8.9 assists. Paul led the league in free throw percentage at 93.4%, and along with his 49.9% mark from the field and 39.5% shooting at three-point range, it made for one of the most efficient seasons of Paul’s Hall of Fame career.
Paul was also durable, playing in 70 of the Suns’ 72 games and one of the two games he missed was the regular season finale when head coach Monty Williams elected to give a few players some rest before the playoffs.
The Suns acquired Paul last offseason from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that included Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ricky Rubio.
