PHOENIX SUNS

Jamal Crawford to Suns’ Chris Paul before Game 1 burst: ‘Shoot the ball’

Apr 18, 2022, 9:46 AM | Updated: 12:28 pm

Retired NBA hooper Jamal Crawford and Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul go way back.

Despite being a few years off from joining forces in Phoenix, Crawford and Paul were teammates for five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers (2012-17). Over that time, the duo’s respect for one another grew.

So when the 20-year NBA vet told Paul to put the ball in the basket at halftime of Phoenix’s Game 1 matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, the point guard listened. Twenty three second-half points later, Paul and the Suns walked away with a 110-99 victory.

“I have been playing for a while, for a long while to tell you the truth,” Paul told reporters after the game. “I think just naturally, you read like if Book got it going or Cam got it going, if DA got it going, or whatever, so over the course of the game, you just try to keep that energy there and if that means I got to score, then so be it.

“Book and them guys stay on me, they talk to me all the time, but Jamal Crawford, fam, one of my teammates, came up to me at halftime and was like, ‘Shoot the ball.’ That’s what he said to me and Book when we were standing over there. So I started shooting.”

It was an impressive 35 minutes of action for Paul on Monday night, with the point guard finishing with 30 points and 10 assists (both game highs) to go along with seven rebounds in the win. He shot 75% from the field (12 of 16) and 66.6% from long range (4 of 6).

The final quarter of play was Paul’s best, however, as he racked up 19 of his 30 points on 7-of-8 shooting to erase any sort of comeback attempt by the Pelicans.

The Suns and Pelicans square off for Game 2 of the first-round playoff matchup Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Tune to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station for all the action.

Phoenix Suns

Jusuf Nurkic...

Damon Allred

Jusuf Nurkic questionable for Suns’ matchup with Thunder; Bradley Beal no longer listed

The Phoenix Suns are listing center Jusuf Nurkic questionable for a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

13 hours ago

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during th...

Kellan Olson

Suns respond to season’s low point with thorough win over Nuggets

The guessing game of which Suns team shows up on which night persists. The best current version did on Wednesday in a win over the Nuggets.

1 day ago

Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the second half against the Boston Celtics at T...

David Veenstra

Bradley Beal in, Jusuf Nurkic out for Suns’ matchup with Nuggets

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal is active for Wednesday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets while center Jusuf Nurkic is out.

1 day ago

Tyler Kolek, Marquette...

Damon Allred

Here’s who Phoenix Suns fans should watch in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

The Suns' first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft sits at No. 19 overall, and they could select a star from the NCAA Tournament.

2 days ago

Phoenix Suns take on San Antonio Spurs...

Arizona Sports

O’Neale: Phoenix Suns took Spurs ‘too lightly’ in glaring loss

The Phoenix Suns' lack of effort was on display Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs, leading to an honest film session.

2 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Royce O’Neale: Suns took Spurs “a little too lightly”

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale joined Burns & Gambo to talk about the team's disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, and to look ahead at the team's remaining schedule, as they continue to make a push toward the NBA playoffs.

2 days ago

Jamal Crawford to Suns’ Chris Paul before Game 1 burst: ‘Shoot the ball’