LOS ANGELES -- After a 10-0 LA Clippers run, Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul took to the streets to silence the crowd and extinguish the hauntings of his playoff past.Paul's third quarter surge was followed by a fourth-quarter coronation at Staples Center on Wednesday. The future Hall of Famer scored 19 more of his 41 playoff points, as the visiting Suns won 130 to103 in Game 6 of Western Conference finals. This allowed him to reach the NBA Finals.Paul and the Suns outlasted the Clippers in a battle that was never won. This earned Paul his first Finals berth and Phoenix his first appearance in almost three decades.Paul stated that he just kept thinking "If we do what's supposed to do, we get the last laugh." "So if you keep the course for long enough, they will break you, and that's exactly what we did."Paul was, in many ways, the greatest player in NBA history who never made it to the Finals. He had the most All-Star appearances, All-NBA selections, and started the most playoff matches. Paul also scored the most career points, compared to anyone with a rsum that didn't include a Finals appearance.After missing the first two series games due to safety protocols, and then struggling in the third and fourth games -- together shooting just 11-for-41 -- he finally found his game Wednesday. He went 16-for-24 from field (7-for-8 from 3), and dished out eight assists.Monty Williams, Suns coach, said that there were questions about Paul's performance before the game. "I felt like it was only a matter of time." It was something I didn't expect, but it's Chris. He was tired, but he was still making these kinds of plays -- getting the basket, the 3s and orchestrating everything.Paul, who was unable to hold back his tears during the trophy presentation ceremony at center court, disclosed that he had an MRI that showed partially torn ligaments in one of his right hands. After suffering a nerve issue in the shoulder in the first round, and then later developing COVID-19 between the second round of conference finals, he decided to do this."Hell, man! I had COVID. A week ago, I was in L.A. quarantining at home. Paul stated that he couldn't be with his teammates. It's been a lot and I want it for everyone in that locker room.Phoenix was led by Devin Booker (22 point, 16 rebounds) and DeandreAyton (16 point, 17 rebounds) who were both young stars. Phoenix shot 14-for-22 (63.6%) in the first quarter.The Suns led was doubled in the second quarter. It was then cut to one by Phoenix before Phoenix made it back to nine at halftime. Jae Crowder scored 13 of his 19 points.The Suns' advantage increased to 17 in the third. Phoenix, which was held to an average score of 91 points in Games 4/5 and 5 of the series, pushed the pace and scored 97 points by the end of the fourth.Marcus Morris Sr. led the Clippers to a second strong game in the series. Paul scored a 3, part of a flurry that saw him score eight consecutive games to give the Suns a 15 point cushion."It was a shot which helped me loosen up in certain areas of my body, you see what I mean?" Williams laughed.According to ESPN Stats & Information, the 36-year-old Paul scored 37 points in Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets to make him the oldest player to score 35+ points in consecutive closeouts games during a postseason. Previous oldest? Michael Jordan, 33 years old in 1996, was the oldest person to do so.Three key players are responsible for the rapid rise of the Suns from a team with just 19 wins three seasons ago to the Finals: Paul, who placed fifth in MVP voting; James Jones, the general manager, was named NBA Executives of the Year; and Williams who placed second in Coach of the year.Booker, the Suns' young star -- who played with a broken nose to average 25.5 point per game in the series -- and Ayton, no slouch at all (averaging 17.8 points against the Clippers) gave that braintrust talent to work with.Booker said that he believed Paul thought it would be a love match when they played each other for the first time. It's just those types of players, the ones you like. I don't enjoy playing against them, but I love him as a member of my team.This is the third consecutive appearance of Phoenix in the Finals. Charles Barkley's Suns lost six games in 1993 to Jordan and Chicago Bulls, and lost six more to Boston Celtics in 1976. This series also featured a 128-126 triple overtime loss for Phoenix in Game 5.Williams said that he didn't know if he would be in the same position and that he was going to see his long-time assistant Randy Ayers share his thoughts on him. You're thinking, "Man, I worked my tailoff. Some people get there more quickly than that." It's a blessing because everyone works hard at it. You're undoubtedly blessed if you have the opportunity to be part of it.They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, the defending champion, in six games. In the second round they swept the league MVP Nikola Jokic as well as the Nuggets. This was the end of the Clippers' season at home.Crowder, who was a Miami Heat player, said that taking out the champs does a lot to boost your team's morale.This run has rekindled a fan base that hadn't seen their team in the postseason since 2010. They will be backed by those fans in the Finals as the Suns have home-court advantage over any Eastern Conference team due to their better regular-season record. In the East finals, the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks are tied at 2-2.Williams stated earlier in the series that "I feel it when you go out on the floor." "That environment, that environment, I don’t know of any other environments that can touch it. While there may be others that are just as loud, no one is louder than our game-night fans.Chris Paul scored 41 points Wednesday, a playoff record. The 36-year old said that he had an MRI before Game 6 which revealed partial torn ligaments. Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty ImagesPaul was thrilled to be back in the spotlight. He was asked about his conference championship T-shirt. He recalled how he imagined wearing it three years ago, when the Houston Rockets were leading 3-2 against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors won the series.Paul stated, "The Houston equipment guy... [he] had a T-shirt and cap, but I never got a chance of getting it." I will never forget that. Never forget that.Jay [Gaspar], the equipment guy, texted me two days ago and said that he had the T-shirt, and the hat. You only have to do your part. That's all I was thinking about. This is only one step closer to where you want to be.Paul also looked back to L.A., beyond his Houston experience.Paul said that he was proud to do it in L.A. with the Clippers during the trophy ceremony. "I gave six difficult years to the Clippers. We fought hard. Many of these fans, Billy Crystal said it best. It was a great opportunity to win against a team I have the greatest respect for. I will always be a Clipper. These fans are my family."Paul's acknowledgment touched Crystal, an actor and comedian who is well-known for his Clippers loyalty.Crystal stated that if it wasn't us, it was him. It's bittersweet that this happened in the same building where he was so important for us for so many decades, and we couldn't get over him. He's still playing at the highest level of his career."Paul's relationship with his coach extends far beyond his Clippers ties. Williams' maiden season in the NBA as a head coach was in 2010-11, when Paul was his New Orleans point guard. The pair will now head together to the championship round."I've known Chris since 11 years. Williams stated before Game 6 that he and Chris would spend all day talking about their friendship. It's more than just basketball. It's more than just basketball. There is a connection and kinship between the coaches, the tough talks, coaching, texts, FaceTime, and watching the games. This, and a few other things, is what sticks out for me.The Suns will need to win four more victories in order to claim their first title in 53 years of existence.Booker stated that "we still have work to be done." "This is great, but we're still going for the Larry O'Brien Trophy," Booker said.
