PHOENIX SUNS

Chris Paul doesn’t want to talk about the Suns going up 3-1 in WCF

Jun 27, 2021, 10:47 AM | Updated: 8:26 pm

JUNE 26: Chris Paul #3 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns talk on the bench during a time out ...

JUNE 26: Chris Paul #3 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns talk on the bench during a time out against the LA Clippers during the first half in game four of the Western Conference Finals at Staples Center on June 26, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns were able to grind out a 84-80 road victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. The Suns now hold a commanding 3-1 series lead in the conference finals.

Point guard Chris Paul spoke with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols following the Suns Game 4 win. Nichols pointed out postgame that Phoenix is the first team in NBA playoff history to go up 3-1 in a series against Paul’s former squad.

“I don’t want to talk about 3-1. Got a lot of bad experiences with that.”

Paul was referring to the 2014-15 season when he was on the Clippers and Los Angeles faced the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The Clippers led by Paul and Blake Griffin took a 3-1 series lead against Houston and would ultimately lose the next three games as well as the series to the Rockets.

Nichols then shifted the conversation to the fourth quarter in Game 4.

The Suns scored 15 points in the last quarter and both teams combined put up a total of 29 points in the fourth.

“Watching these games, I just kept thinking to myself ‘damn we need a bucket’.’Damn we need a bucket’ but we just kept getting stops,” Paul told the ESPN reporter.

Additionally, the Clippers shot 0-12 in the fourth quarter on shots that could’ve tied the game or taken the lead which makes it the most attempts without a make in the final quarter in the last 25 years, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

The Suns have an opportunity to close out the Western Conference Finals in Game 5 and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.

With the energy the Suns fans have been bringing to each and every home playoff game this year, Paul likes Phoenix’s chances in front of the home crowd.

“We going home to the best fans in the league,” Paul said. “Phoenix see the way they show up on the road? They’re gonna be crazy on what is it Monday. This one feels good. We knew we needed to come in here and it’s a tough environment.”

Game 5 tips off at 6 p.m. on Monday at Phoenix Suns Arena.

Catch all the action on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

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