“It was good to see the city with a smile on their face,” Paul said after New Orleans evened the first-round playoff series at two games apiece. “This city, this arena, deserved this win tonight.”
The Hornets’ postseason slogan is “I’m In,” but many wonder if Paul, the 25-year-old All-Star point guard, may be on his way out. He will be a free agent at the end of next season and will be coveted by any number of teams. That includes the just-eliminated Knicks, who are in sore need of someone who can go toe-to-toe with Boston’s Rajon Rondo.
But whether Paul will ever make it to free agency or be traded beforehand, and whether the Knicks will find a way to be involved, remains to be seen. Paul is close with the Knicks’ top players — Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups — and before they were swept by the Celtics on Sunday, Paul said, he sent them text messages of support.
“I told them to keep fighting,” he said, adding: “Chauncey’s like a big brother to me. So is Melo.”
All those Knicks are now free to sit home and watch as Paul continues to try to torment the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, who went scoreless on seven shots in the first half Sunday night while running himself ragged trying to guard Paul. Bryant, who finished with 17 points, turned his left ankle late in the game and conducted postgame interviews in the training room.
“When it’s all said and done, he’ll be one of the best that’s ever laced them up,” Bryant said of Paul. “That’s just a bad little dude, man.”
Paul seems genuinely modest, although if the spotlight intensifies next season, his disinclination to talk about himself will be tested. On Sunday, Paul collected 27 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season, changed into a conservative suit and then, accompanied by his teammate Trevor Ariza, met with reporters.
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