The San Antonio Spurs broke their two-game losing streak with a 110-104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at AT&T Center tonight. After winning the NBA Cup matchup, NBA veteran Chris Paul was hyped. During his postgame conversation with Jared Greenberg, Paul boasted about his leadership qualities.
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The 39-year-old was brought in by the Spurs to help their roster full of youngsters. In the game against OKC, San Antonio didn’t have their top three scorers on the floor, but that didn’t stop CP3 from going out there to secure a win for his team.
When asked if he also sees this stint with the Spurs as an opportunity to prove his worth as a competitor, the Point God said, “I don’t know what that ‘playing for nothing’ is about.”
CP3 said that even though there’s no championship for him on the record books yet, he brings the competitive energy regardless.
Paul added, “Regardless of championship or not, every year, teams I’ve been on have been competitive. So, I wanted to come here, just bring that mindset, bring that attitude, and let these guys know that in order to win games, first and foremost, they’ve gotta believe.”
"Every year, teams I've been on have been competitive" 😤@JaredSGreenberg caught up with CP3 after the @spurs #EmiratesNBACup win 🎤 pic.twitter.com/PafxoP3UWL
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 20, 2024
The Spurs were playing without Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan. In their absence, Paul registered 14 points, five rebounds, and 11 assists to beat the second-best team in the Western Conference. Seven players, including CP3, scored in double digits. Their defense was even more impressive in the contest.
The Spurs restricted the Thunder to a mere 41% from the floor and 30% from the deep. Even the valiant efforts from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32-3-7) and Jalen Williams (27-10-6) couldn’t save them from losing to the CP3-led team.
After Paul made his debut for the Spurs, veteran coach Gregg Popovich showered praise on the 12-time All-Star. He said, “He’s so wise, and he’s got so much experience. Sometimes I get mesmerized listening to him just say things to players.”
Having a veteran’s presence on the roster full of youngsters was one of the reasons why he was brought in. Not only has CP3 lived up to the expectations, he has also shown that he is capable of leading the side when there’s a need for it.
