PHOENIX SUNS
Phoenix Suns PG Chris Paul’s playoff history in Game 7s
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) advances the ball against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The league-wide narrative about Chris Paul’s postseason career is not a positive one, but in his first-ever season with the Phoenix Suns, he helped bring the city to its first Finals in 28 years.
His stats in the final game of a series have not disappointed, averaging 20.6 points, 9.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds with a 3-4 record in seven Game 7s in his career.
The most famous playoff loss in Paul’s career came during the 2015 playoffs with the Los Angeles Clippers when Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan held a 3-1 series lead over James Harden and the Houston Rockets.
The Clippers were up 19 points in the third quarter of a Game 6 and held a 13-point fourth-quarter lead. Rockets’ Josh Smith led a 40-15 quarter and forced a seventh game in the series.
L.A. eventually fell in the seventh game, losing the 3-1 series lead. Paul added 26 points, 10 assists and five rebounds on 45% shooting in the loss.
In the final game of his Clipper career, Paul fell short in Game 7 against the Utah Jazz in 2017. This was undoubtedly his worst performance in a closeout game, scoring 13 points, nine assists and four rebounds on 6-of-19 shooting.
This ended the Clippers trio of Paul, Griffin and Jordan as the point guard was sent to play with Harden in Houston. The Clippers never made it to a Western Conference Final as a group.
In Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Paul did not play due to a hamstring injury as the Rockets fell to the eventual champions, losing a 3-2 lead as the No. 1 seed in the conference.
In his most recent Game 7, Paul faced off against Harden and the Rockets once again, this time as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020 in the COVID bubble.
Paul recorded a triple-double in the contest, adding 19 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a loss.
Although Paul has lost three consecutive Game 7s, he started his career 3-1 in those games.
Many around the league think of Paul as one of the greatest point guards to ever touch the court. he will look to end a three-game, Game 7 losing streak on Sunday at Footprint Center.
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