Chris Paul just ended another season on a great team that fell short of its championship aspirations.
The Suns won 64 games to make Paul the first player in NBA history to be part of four different teams to set franchise records for victories in a regular season.
Then once again, Paul found himself getting bounced out of the playoffs earlier than expected. The fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Suns by winning Sunday’s decisive Game 7 in commanding fashion, 123-90, at Footprint Center.
At age 37, this was viewed as Paul’s best, and perhaps last chance, to win a championship in what has been a Hall of Fame career.
His response?
“Not at all,” the 12-time All-Star said after Game 7 when asked if the lost stings more because of what stage he’s at in his career.
“They said that last year. Probably said it back in 2008. You play long enough and you don’t win, every time you lose, they’re going to say this was your best chance. I think for me, us, be right back next year. I tell you that much. I’m not retiring tomorrow. Thank God. Hopefully I’m healthy, come back, but keep playing.”
Paul was likely referring to 2018 when the Rockets won a franchise-record 65 games with former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni as head coach.
James Harden won NBA MVP that season, but Houston lost to eventual NBA champion Golden State in the conference finals in seven games.
Paul suffered a hamstring injury in Game 5 and didn’t play in Game 6 and Game 7 Golden State won to take the series after being down 3-2 in the best-of-7.
In 2008, Paul made his first playoff run that ended in the conference semifinals against the Spurs.
A second seed, New Orleans took a 2-0 series lead, but lost the series in seven.
The Suns led this year’s conference semifinals over Dallas, 2-0, before losing in seven to mark the fifth time Paul has been on a team that lost a playoff series after winning Game 1 and Game 2.
So what’s next?
“There’s no greater message than get back to work,” Paul said. “At the end of the day, you at least want a shot at it.”
Paul played a pivotal role in the Suns having a historic season that included a franchise record 18-game winning streak.
They entered this postseason as a No. 1 overall seed that granted them homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, but needed six games to eliminate New Orleans, the only team in the postseason with a losing record.
Paul scored 33 points in Game 6 of that series, on a perfect 14-of-14 shooting in setting an NBA record for most made field goals without a miss in a playoff game.
In the Mavericks’ series, he scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter of Game 2, which Phoenix won to take a 2-0 series lead on Dallas.
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He turned 37 two days later and had one of his worst playoff games ever in Game 3, which ended with him scoring just five points and fouling out in 23 minutes.
In the last five games of this series, Paul averaged just 9.4 points and 5.8 assists after leading the league in assists in the regular season at 10.8 a game.
The 17-year veteran had the same number of field goals made (18-of-36) as turnovers (18) from Game 3 to Game 7.
This is after going 4-of-8 for 10 points and not committing a turnover in Game 7 as he had a minus-39, the worst he’s ever had in any game in his NBA career.
ESPN’s Marc Spears tweeted Paul was playing through a quad injury in Game 7 as he appeared out of sorts throughout.
Paul wasn’t on the injury report heading into Game 7.
“I feel like I rode him too much and may have worn him out, especially in the New Orleans series,” said Suns coach Monty Williams. Paul averaged 36.8 minutes in the first round versus the Pelicans.
Paul signed a four-year, $120-million deal going into this season. The third year of his deal is partially guaranteed and the final one is non-guaranteed, according to reports.
So next season will be a major one for Paul and Suns on multiple levels, but he already has source of motivation that’s close to home.
“I got a text from my son after the game saying, ‘let’s get in the gym.’ Paul said.
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ‘I’m not retiring tomorrow’: Chris Paul ends season in disappointment
