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The Phoenix Suns cruised to a convincing 122-105 win in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in the Western Conference semifinals. The Suns were firing on all cylinders and managed to limit MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic to just 22 points in the desert.
While it was a complete team performance with four different players collecting 20+ points for the Suns, there was one huge positive. Chris Paul. After dealing with a shoulder injury for basically the entire Lakers series, CP3 looked as close to full strength as we've seen in weeks.
Paul played a total of 35 minutes, posting 21 points and 11 assists. It was his best game of the playoffs so far by a longshot, but it wasn't a fluke. The Suns veteran had no problems getting to the cup and finishing. When it came to taking midrange jumpers, he actually had a fluid shooting motion. Against the Lakers, Paul was dropping down with his release to take pressure off that shoulder.
There's no doubt the injury is still there to a certain degree. But having a few days off to rest before the second round has definitely helped it heal more. Paul completely took control in the fourth quarter to help the Suns close it out, dropping 10 straight points in the final period. He also assisted or scored 20 of Phoenix's last 34 points.
Having CP3 healthy is a massive plus for this team. While the versatility throughout their roster has been on full display, Paul is their floor general, after all. He controls the tempo and makes all of his teammates better thanks to the playmaking and basketball IQ he possesses.
There weren't really any signs of Chris Paul grabbing that shoulder in pain. With the heartbeat of the Suns lineup wreaking havoc offensively, there is nothing stopping Monty Williams' squad from marching all the way to the NBA Finals.
Signature CP3 is back. Good luck, Denver.
