Chen stood not far away, already imagining how frustrating this series would be for CP3.
Once the Rockets had retreated on defense and chosen not to switch immediately, the outcome of the possession was already set.
Russell Westbrook exploded into motion. Two strides and a gentle bump sent Paul stumbling back three steps. Then he accelerated again, charged into the paint, and rose for a contested layup, lofting the ball over Capela and into the basket.
This was what a modern super point guard could do: finish through contact with a center. It was an absurd play.
In the old days, even the best point guards would prioritize evading contact when going up for a layup.
Back on offense, Paul naturally wanted to get even. This was the Playoffs, after all, and morale mattered a lot.
CP3 waited at the Top of the Key for Ariza to come up and set a Pick-and-Roll.
Just kidding. Wanting to get even was one thing, but isolating against Westbrook? Only an idiot would do that. Westbrook might be lacking a little when it came to help defense and playing off the ball, but he was absolutely no slouch in one-on-one defense.
Using Ariza's screen to get into the Mid-range, Paul drew Butler's help defense, then passed back out to Ariza on the wing.
Ariza immediately moved the ball to Tucker in the corner.
PJ Tucker let fly from the corner, his favorite spot.
The ball swished through the net.
6–2.
If the defense wasn't working, the offense would have to make up for it.
Paul and Westbrook had never been the same type of player.
Westbrook was better at opening things up with his own offense, using his tremendous ability to attack the basket to create relatively comfortable scoring opportunities for his teammates.