National Basketball Association

Pictures of Pelicans History: Chris Paul Shines in Playoffs vs Lakers

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Pelican Debrief’s “Pictures of Pelicans History” is a series looking at the best and worst moments in the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets history.

New Orleans Pelicans’ fans can still be fond of former point guard Chris Paul’s performance against the Los Angeles Lakers, back in the 2011 NBA playoffs.

In 2011, Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets went into the NBA Playoffs limping.

After losing star forward David West to injury, the Hornets looked primed to be swept against the star powered Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. No one gave New Orleans a chance.

That would change in Game One of the First Round.

Chris Paul put on a stunning performance with 33 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds to lead New Orleans past the Lakers 109-100. Paul took control against the Lakers point Derek Fisher to put the Hornets on top in the series.

After two straight losses, New Orleans needed another magic performance from Paul in Game Four.

He delivered.

Chris Paul put up a triple-double in the fourth game of the series, with 27 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds. The Hornets would win 93-88, which tied the series at two games a piece.

Paul’s dominance throughout the series nearly carried it to seven games. Chris almost found another triple double, yet his ten point, 11 assist and eight rebound performance was not enough at home to extend the series. The Lakers would go on to win 4-2, before being swept by the eventual NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks next round.

Even though the Hornets did not win the series, it’s a major moment for the franchise, due to how dominant Chris Paul played. Paul finished the series averaging 22 points, 11.5 assists and 6.7 rebounds. He also averaged 54.5% shooting with 1.8 steals per game. To put it simply, he was fantastic.

The series, prior to it’s start, was not expected to go past four games by many. An easy sweep. Chris Paul made sure that did not happen. He carried a team lost for players and talent against one of the top teams in the league. It was a dogfight the Lakers were not expecting.

It also signified a storied franchise’s near end from its dominance. Since that playoff series, the Lakers have won just one other playoff series and watched all of their dynasty’s pieces walk away. The decline of the team began with this surprisingly long series. It’s started with New Orleans. With Chris Paul.

Chris Paul’s moments in New Orleans are some of the best for Bayou basketball fans, with his performance in the playoffs against the Lakers being one of the most inspiring. He gave everything he had against Los Angeles to give his team a chance. Chris Paul is considered to be the best player in New Orleans basketball history. It’s hard to argue with performances like this.