The Clippers needed a win on Wednesday against the Trail Blazers, both to hold off the charging Spurs from tying for fifth place in the West and to keep hope alive of getting the No. 2 seed. Things weren't looking good, as the Clippers were on the second game of a back-to-back on the road and Portland held a double-digit lead for almost three quarters.
Watch Chris Paul shut down the Blazers in the 4th quarter
Paul came through for the Clippers when they needed him in their win over the Trail Blazers.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Yet Chris Paul, who had carried the Clippers most of the game, refused to concede. He put the finishing touches on a fantastic performance in the final period, scoring 12 of his 41 points to complete the comeback win.
Paul needed just 21 shots to get to his season-high in points while also dishing out 17 assists. It was the type of game that reminds everyone that not only is he still among the best at his position, but also should receive MVP consideration after keeping his team alive in Blake Griffin’s absence. Paul punished the Blazers with his deft shooting from everywhere on the floor, connecting on 5-of-9 three-point attempts as well as hitting all 10 of his free throws.
Paul had been phenomenal all night long, but he took his game to another level after a skirmish with Blazers' center Chris Kaman late in the third quarter. The Clippers trailed by 11 at the time, but Paul cut the deficit to nine after hitting the free throws that resulted from Kaman's flagrant foul. He then hit two more after a foul from Joel Freeland to reduce Portland's lead to seven.
“CP already had it going before that to be honest, but that just brought more energy into the game,” Doc Rivers said of the incident after the game. “When you’re lacking energy or just looking for anything, little plays like that can help you -- or they can do you in, too. You never know how that’s going to go. I was happy with how we responded to it.”
The bench made a push to start the fourth quarter before Paul checked back in to seal the victory for Los Angeles. After trailing by as many as 19, the Clippers completely dominated the last 12 minutes of the game, scoring 41 points in the final period and leading by 11 at one point.
The win on Wednesday made 50 for the Clippers this season, a number that would have been impossible to reach without Paul's leadership. Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry might have surpassed him in the eyes of many around the league as the best at his position, but there's no doubt that Paul is still an elite player who could lead his team far in the playoffs. The Blazers found out the hard way.
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