Chris Paul’s record shooting performance leads Suns past Pelicans into second round of NBA playoffs

NEW ORLEANS — The Phoenix Suns needed a perfect performance from their leader Thursday night.

Devin Booker wasn’t himself after missing three games with a right hamstring strain.

The New Orleans Pelicans were leading by double digits and their sellout crowd of 18,962 was dialed up to 110, but Chris Paul silenced them time and time again in leading the Suns to a 115-109 closeout win in Game 6, taking the series 4-2.

Shooting a perfect 14-of-14 from the field, Paul finished with 33 points to became first player in NBA playoff history to make 14 field goals without a miss. It is the most any player has ever made without a miss in the postseason ever.

The top-seeded Suns will advance to the conference semifinals to face the Mavericks-Jazz winner. Game 1 will be Monday in Phoenix.

“We understand what closeout games mean,” Booker said during a TNT postgame interview. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I’m happy with what we did.”

Booker finished with 13 points, 11 coming in the second half. His only 3-pointer of the night gave Phoenix the lead for good, 106-104 with 1:42 left in the game.

Then Mikal Bridges stole the ball from CJ McCollum and went coast-to-coast for a jam to put the Suns ahead by four, 108-104 with 1:28 left.

POINT GOD: Just when you think he can’t, Chris Paul does even more

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Deandre Ayton finished with 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting while Bridges added 18.

The Suns won the regular-season series 3-1 over New Orleans, but the Pelicans entered the series with major momentum after winning two games in the play-in tournament to grab the eighth seed.

Then they tied the series 1-1 with a Game 2 victory in Phoenix where Booker suffered the hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games.

Chris Paul went 14-of-14 from the field as the Suns shot 60% for the game.

Phoenix won two of those three but lost Game 4 by 15, which guaranteed a return to New Orleans for Game 6. The Suns bounced back to win Game 5 to regain momentum.

Story continues

Then with the return of Booker, Phoenix appeared ready to roll past the pesky Pelicans and end the series, but needed a perfect performance from Paul to win.

After the game, Suns coach Monty Williams and Pelicans first-year head coach Willie Green embraced. Green was the lead assistant under Williams the previous two seasons.

In tears, Green later hugged Booker and Paul while heading off the court.

The Suns will have three days off before the conference semifinals. That will give Booker time to recover even more from the injury, although Williams said Booker kept telling him the hamstring felt good.

Follow Duane Rankin on Twitter @DuaneRankin.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns beat Pelicans to advance to second round of NBA playoffs