By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Phoenix Suns suffered a tough defeat in Game 7 for an anticlimactic NBA playoffs exit Sunday, but veteran Chris Paul made his intentions to return next season pretty clear.
“You play long enough and you don’t win, every time you lose, they’re going to say it was your best chance,” Paul told reporters after being asked if that was his best opportunity to win a title. “But I think for me, us, it’s we’ll be right back next year. I’ll tell you that much. I’m not retiring tomorrow, thank God. Hopefully, I’m healthy coming back. But I’m [going to] keep playing.”
Paul, who turned 37 on May 6, scored a total of 47 points along with 11 assists and had just 4 turnovers in the first two games of the semifinal series against the Mavericks, yet the Suns failed to protect their 2-0 lead and his decline was obvious.
His averages dropped to 9.4 points and 5.8 assists per game while turning the ball over 3.6 times per game, and the Mavs were able to exploit this weakness with a dominant display on Sunday.
“I think we just came out and just didn’t have enough,” said Paul about the Suns’ blowout in Game 7. “I think Monty [Williams] said that’s on him, but I think that’s on me, as the point guard, the leader of the team. To come out and make sure you’re getting the right shots and all that.”