Chris Paul, the one that got away, rallies Suns to end Knicks’ 9-game winning streak

NEW YORK — The Knicks respected Chris Paul’s wishes by not trading for him, coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday.

“A player like that, you look at where he is at, what stage he’s at in his career,” the Knicks coach said before facing Paul and the Suns on Monday. “He’s looking at what might be, what he feels would be the best fit for him. And he’s earned that over an incredible career. So you’d have to ask him what came down to his decision.”

Paul was linked to the Knicks mainly because of his connection to team president Leon Rose, who represented the point guard before taking the leap to chief executive under James Dolan.

Paul had 20 points, six assists and five rebounds to help the Suns to a 118-110 victory. Devin Booker had 33 points, and Mikal Bridges scored 21 for the Suns. Derrick Rose led the Knicks with 22 points, six assists and six rebounds off the bench. Julius Randle had 18 points but shot 6 for 17.

Paul scored the final seven Phoenix points as the Suns held on to finish 3-2 on their trip that included visits to the top four teams in the Eastern Conference. Beaten a day earlier by Brooklyn, they fell behind by 15 quickly in this one before gaining control in the fourth quarter.

Cameron Johnson hit three 3-pointers in the final period for Phoenix after the score was tied at 87 through three.

But even after going ahead by nine with 2:53 to play, the Suns couldn’t finish it off until Paul hit a couple jumpers and then a 3-pointer with 14.55 seconds remaining to close out the win.

Talking before the game, Thibodeau indicated that the timeline of the Knicks rebuild — which appeared much more daunting in the summer — didn’t mesh with a 36-year-old looking for contention.

“You look at all the possibilities and you think about who could fit your team. And it has to work both ways. The type of player that he is, we knew he’d look around,” Thibodeau said. “You also look at the window, look at where he is age-wise and what he was looking for. We knew he would have a lot of options.”

Paul was traded from the Thunder to the Suns for Ricky Rubio and a first-round pick, emerging quickly as the catalyst to Phoenix’s surge up the standings. The Knicks filled point guard by re-signing Elfrid Payton and later trading for Derrick Rose.

The Knicks could’ve easily topped Phoenix’s offer for Paul but deferred to the player’s desires. Thibodeau even mistakenly labeled it a free agency decision.

Still, it’s difficult to get hung up on any mistake from either side. The Knicks have exceeded all expectations, entering Monday’s game as the East’s fourth seed with a league-high nine game winning streak.

Paul is again earning All-NBA consideration with a chance at his first Finals. The Suns are on the brink of clinching their first playoff appearance in over a decade.

“Chris Paul,” Thibodeau said when asked about the Suns’ improvement. “You add the foundation and then you put a player like Chris into the mix. And again, when you look at how you break defenses down, having a point guard like that and you couple him with Booker and then the size of (DeAndre) Ayton going to the rim, it fits well. That’s probably the biggest thing.”

In other words, Paul may have boosted the Knicks in the East, but he chose his trade destination wisely.

“I’m happy with the guys we’ve got,” Thibodeau said. “I’m sure he’s happy with the decision he made.”

An Associated Press report is included in this story.