Finally, Chris Paul, 36, will contest the NBA finals, after 16 years in the NBA on Thursday morning.
Paul led the Phoenix Suns to a 130-103 victory over the LA Clippers to claim a 4-2 series win.
Paul, a first-round draft pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2005, scored 41 points-31 in the second half to help the Suns take the Western Conference title and wait for the winner between the Atalanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks, which is tied 2-2.
It was a triumphant return to the Staples Centre for Paul, who played for the Clippers between 2011 and 2017 and he got more attention than he will have wanted when he got Clippers guard Patrick Beverley evicted. At this point, the Suns led the Clippers by 26 points.
This will be the Suns’ first trip to the finals after Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson led them to this stage in 1993.
In the post-match courtside interview, Paul said, “16 years; surgeries; hard work; losses-bad losses.