Chris Paul Playing Better Without Knee Brace

Paul says he feels a lot better physically, and the results back him up. From the Times-Picayune: “Lately he has looked more and more like the near-peerless Paul, like the player who has taken opponents and twisted them like putty until they resembled anything but competent defenders. Like Wednesday night at the New Orleans Arena, when he weighed and measured the Phoenix Suns en route to 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals in a 100-95 victory that moved the Hornets back into sixth place in the Western Conference standings. ‘That’s just the way it’s going,’ Paul said of his surge. ‘It’s winning time. You can’t wait and hope other teams lose to get in position.’ … Before torching the Suns, Paul riddled Sacramento for 33 points, 15 assists, seven rebounds and five steals and hit up Denver for 27 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and seven steals. Those games made him the second player in league history with a two-game total of at least 60 points, 25 assists, 10 rebounds and 10 steals … ‘Ever since I got that knee brace off, I feel a lot freer,’ he said, that being as close to an admission as he’ll allow that he now is at his peak.”