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Former LA Clipper Chris Paul attended Game 2 of LA's first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. The veteran point guard's unexpected sideline appearance left NBA fans on X/Twitter in disbelief.
Paul spent six seasons with LA from 2011 to 2017, guiding the franchise to the playoffs all six years. However, the Clippers consistently underperformed in the postseason during his tenure, winning only three playoff series. They never made it past the Western Conference semifinals, getting eliminated in the first round in Paul's final two seasons in LA.
Following the Clippers' consistent playoff struggles, Paul was dealt to the Houston Rockets in 2017. The 12-time All-Star has since bounced around the league, playing for the OKC Thunder, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.
This year marks Paul's first time missing the playoffs since 2010, as the Warriors (46-36) finished 10th in the West. So, he has more time on his hands than usual this time of year.
On Tuesday, Clippers insider Farbod Esnaashari tweeted a photo of the soon-to-be-39-year-old taking in LA's second playoff game.
Some fans were pleasantly surprised by Chris Paul's sideline sighting.
"Clipper legend," @ClippersBrasil said.
"Best clipper ever," @Micksavageee said.
"All love," @mhakada said.
However, others were much less kind, accusing the former Clipper of being a bad-luck omen.
"Get that bad-luck omen out of there!" @DeuceHolidayy said.
"That’s why we're playing so weak," @_Lil_Teddy_Ruks said.
"We don’t claim him," @goatedpg13 said.
Clippers drop Game 2 against Mavericks with Chris Paul in attendance
Chris Paul's Game 2 presence seemingly didn't benefit his former team. The Clippers suffered a 96-93 home loss despite superstar forward Kawhi Leonard (knee) returning to the lineup for the first time since March 31.
After trailing 66-65 entering the fourth quarter, the Mavericks seized control of the contest behind a flurry of fourth-quarter 3-pointers. Their 31-point final period was highlighted by superstar guard Luka Doncic's 27-foot step-back 3, which put Dallas up 90-81 with 1:26 remaining.
Doncic finished with a game-high 32 points, six rebounds, nine assists and five 3s on 42.3% shooting. Meanwhile, his co-star Kyrie Irving chipped in 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and four 3s on 44.4% shooting.
The star duo's one-two punch helped the Mavericks fend off the Clippers, who received a combined 44 points from stars Paul George and James Harden.
With Tuesday's victory, the Mavericks tied their first-round series 1-1 heading to Dallas for Friday's Game 3. Given the star power on both sides, the series is projected to extend to six or seven games. It remains to be seen if Chris Paul will attend another game in the series.
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