Tag: clutch

Chris Paul: The league’s best in the clutch this season

Paul hit the go-ahead bucket against the Mavs with 40.6 seconds left. He has scored 91 points in clutch time, most in the NBA this season.

Chris Paul did it again on Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

He took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of his 17 points in the final frame, including the go-ahead jumper with just 40.6 seconds remaining on the clock.

It’s become such a common occurrence for Oklahoma City this season that Paul might want to consider changing his nickname (one of the many) from CP3 to CP4.

Regardless of what name Paul ultimately goes by, there’s definitely one word to describe him: clutch.

For those unfamiliar with the definition of clutch (yes, there is such a thing), it’s commonly considered as the last five minutes of a game (regulation or overtime) in which the point differential is 5 or less. And yes, there are advanced metrics to keep track of how players perform in the clutch.

Pull up those metrics, and Paul is far and away the most productive player in the league during those last five minutes.

In fairness, that number is heavily weighted. Of the 33 games the Thunder have played this season, 25 have fallen into the category of clutch. Oklahoma City is 15-10 in those contests, a record reflective of how good Paul has been in those late-game situations.

As noted by Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, Paul has scored 91 points in the clutch this year – the next closest is Zach LaVine at 78. Even if you “level the playing field” and just go by points per game in the clutch, Paul still falls within the top ten, coming at 3.6.

He told The Oklahoman after last Friday’s 104-102 overtime victory in Charlotte that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love it man,” Paul said last week after the Thunder’s 104-102 overtime win. “And that’s why it’s fun to have a team like this. Different guys get going. And that’s the thing that gets your blood going is fourth quarter, them situations.”

Paul echoed those sentiments following the win over the Mavericks, telling Nick Gallo, “there ain’t nothing like winning time.”

Paul and the Thunder are back in action on Thursday in San Antonio.

Josh Gordon had only 2 catches in Seahawks debut but both were crucial

New Seahawks wide receiver Josh Gordon only registered two catches in the team’s win over the San Francisco 49ers, but both were crucial.

Josh Gordon made crucial contributions in his first game as a Seattle Seahawk on Monday night, despite his stat line showing only two catches for 27 yards. Both of those catches were vital plays in the game against the San Francisco 49ers and offered a glimpse of what the Seahawks and their fans can expect from him moving forward.

Russell Wilson credited Gordon for making the most of his opportunities and helping the team achieve their most important victory of the season.

“Josh Gordon has been a great addition to our team,” Wilson told reporters after the win. “We have a lot of great receivers and a lot of guys who can catch the football and make plays. He made some huge, huge catches today on third downs. He had the one slant to the right and I think another on the left. Just some of the plays he was making with confidence on big third downs to continue drives. He was great. He had a great week. It’s great to have him on our football team.”

Gordon had a reception for 13 yards on third-and-6 that preceded Jason Myers’ 46-yard field goal that gave Seattle a 24-21 lead. His other catch was for 14 yards and a first down in overtime.

While Gordon did not receive many opportunities, he has already displayed a propensity for coming through in the clutch. This could be just what Seattle needs at wide receiver with Tyler Lockett’s status up in the air for Week 12 against the Eagles when the team comes off their bye week.

Sitting at 8-2 with a tough schedule ahead of them, the Seahawks could use more contributions from Gordon down the stretch.

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