After the Clippers beat Miami on Wednesday, LeBron James sat by his locker praising Chris Paul.
"He's always aware, he knows the tempo of the game, knows the score. He's always aware of when he needs to pick his points, you know, pick his shots or get into attack and make things happen.
"That's why I've always felt that he's the best point guard in the NBA."
Paul had 16 points and 10 assists in the Clippers' 107-100 win over the defending champions. He opened the game up for his team, turning a 54-52 halftime lead into a double-digit advantage heading into the fourth quarter after he scored 13 points in the final three minutes and 22 seconds of the third quarter.
Paul referred to his third-quarter scoring frenzy as a stroke of luck.
When a reporter told him that the reigning MVP of the league thinks that Paul's humility is a bit misguided, Paul laughed.
"That's like one of my best friends saying that too, so, you know what I mean," Paul said of James saying he's the best point guard in the league.
Paul then attributed his success to Griffin drawing in the defense and opening him up on the perimeter.
"If you watch this game, watch the whole first half, they were digging on Blake and I was missing the shots," he said. "I think one of the first plays of the second half, Blake kicked it out to me and I missed that three and what did I say?"
"I said, 'Don't worry, throw it to me again.' And he did it, and I made it."
Paul is averaging 17 points and 10.3 assists this season, the second most assists in the NBA behind Rajon Rondo's 12.5. In a recent game against the Lakers, Paul had 15 assists, tying the assist total for the entire Laker team.
Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra, who guided his team to an NBA championship last season, said that this Clippers team, headed by Paul, is something special.
"We know and respect what these guys are about," he said. "We view them as legit contenders for the title."
-Melissa Rohlin
