There are few players in the NBA that make the blood boil more than Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul. Paul not only gets in the head of his opponents with his sneaky tactics, he is also constantly yapping at the ears of officials. Simply put, Paul has mastered the art of controlling the game. But Jalen Green, the Houston Rockets' sophomore shooting guard, cannot be fooled any longer.
In fact, Green turned the tables on Paul during the Rockets' resounding 111-97 victory over the floundering Suns.
Late in the fourth quarter, with the Suns trying desperately to spark one last comeback attempt, Phoenix ran a set, with Chris Paul running a middle pick-and-roll with Jock Landale. Jalen Green, however, snuffed out the play, organizing the Rockets' defense to stymie the play. Paul uncharacteristically went for a jump pass, and when his first option, Mikal Bridges, was well-defended, he ended up landing before he threw a pass for a traveling call.
After the game, Green patted himself on the back, saying that Paul is one of the most difficult guys in the league to outread given his veteran pedigree and endless bag of tricks.
“That’s the ultimate trickster in the league. He be having the refs on his side, he controls the whole game,” Green told reporters after the game, per Michael Shapiro. “I didn't really think of it like that. I was just making sure we put the game away.”
Jalen Green appears proud of forcing a Chris Paul travel tonight:
“That’s the ultimate trickster in the league. He be having the refs on his side, he controls the whole game.” pic.twitter.com/ZkhpgcHMch
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) December 14, 2022
On the night, Jalen Green had 26 points to lead all scorers. If the 20-year old guard continues to add old-man moves to his game like he did in this one, then he might achieve superstar status sooner than many think.
Follow Us
Subscribe