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Phoenix Suns coaches wanted point guard Chris Paul to sit out Game 4 against the Lakers. His response was nothing short of amazing.
The next time Suns coaches considering asking Chris Paul to sit out a playoff game, they’ll think again.
The star guard has been dealing with a shoulder problem since a hard fall in Game 1 against the Lakers. He insisted on playing through it instead of resting.
“[Monty Williams] told me he was going to sit me tonight. I told him ‘Hell nah’,” Paul said.
To be fair to Williams, Paul’s injury was holding the Suns back. He’s not a volume scorer, but his reluctance to shoot in Game 2 and 3 was an issue. He had six points in the first loss and seven in the second.
Paul told Williams to give him some time to show what he could do and the coach showed enough faith to let him do that. The veteran didn’t disappoint with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting to lead the team. He also had nine assists and three steals.
Chris Paul repaid Monty Williams faith in playing him in Game 4
You could never question how much it meant to Paul to get the win over the Lakers.
“This is just a game, people got a lot of tougher things going on, but I love to play this game,” Paul said.
Paul’s dedication to the game has made an impression on people, including North Carolina Central head coach LeVelle Moton.
On Twitter, Moton told the story of how he told Paul during the season to take some days off to rest his body. Paul responded, “Velle, there’s too many people that wish they were in my position and I love the game too much to sit.”
Paul noted at the end of his postgame interview that the Suns still have work to do. He’s definitely right about that, but a tied series heading back to Phoenix should be a huge relief. If he could get it done in Game 4, his shoulder should be even more ready for Game 5.