“When you get legends like Chris Paul arguing with you" - Draymond Green lauds Jordan Poole's mentality after he doesn't shy away from trash talking CP3

Golden State Warriors v Phoenix Suns
Golden State Warriors v Phoenix Suns

Draymond Green heaped high praise on Jordan Poole after the youngster's brilliant 38 point performance against the Phoenix Suns.

Despite the Golden State Warriors' loss on the night, Poole left a significant impact on the game. He made things extremely difficult for the Suns' defense by scoring from mid-range and three-point range. Chris Paul attempted to slow him down by jawing at him, but Poole showed maturity and did not back down from fighting back against the 'Point God'.

His teammate Green was impressed with him for not backing down from Chris Paul and his trash talk and stated that this was a great sign for the youngster. When asked about his comments on Poole giving it back to CP3, Draymond Green said in his post-game interview:

"What's this his third year, I've never seen him back down to anyone and CP is no different. You know, when you get legends like Chris Paul arguing with you and you're young, that's a beautiful sign."
"That means, they know about you, you got them on alert because if he didn't, he wouldn't waste his time talking to you, you know it's a beautiful sign, he didn't back down and you know it's great to see, you want to go into the foxhole with guys like that."

Jordan Poole's 38 point effort was his 15th consecutive game where he scored 20 points or more. In the absence of Stephen Curry, the 22-year-old has elevated his game and is averaging 28.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 5.6 APG in the last five games. Although the team has not been able to deliver victories, Poole's recent run of form has been a great boost for the Dubs.

Steve Kerr has been very impressed with Jordan Poole's growth over the season. However, during his 38 point performance, Kerr stated that he was not only doing good work on the offensive end but was also at his best defensively. Speaking further about his career-high night, the Warriors coach said:

"I mean he kept us in the game, he was amazing, you know, he's playing with so much confidence. He can create space and then he has the poise to not rush his shot after he creates the space and that's the maturity that he's shown here over the last couple of years as he's come into his own."
"In his rookie year, he would create some space and just chuck it you know, he though the defense was going to get out to him, now he knows where his shots can come and when they're going to come and he takes his time and he just has great confidence."

Jordan Poole's 38 point performance proves to be valiant as the Phoenix Suns fight their way to a 107-103 win

Phoenix Suns v Golden State Warriors
Phoenix Suns v Golden State Warriors

The Phoenix Suns came into the game high on confidence against a Dubs team that was struggling to find wins. However, right from the tip-off, Steve Kerr's men looked locked in as they scored 32 points in the first quarter.

Jordan Poole was one of the main reasons behind their fiery start. The youngster scored 15 points in the quarter to give the Dubs an early lead, but the Suns were not far too behind and closed out the quarter with 29 points.

Jordan Poole had a quiet second quarter as the Suns locked him up, which gave them an advantage during the period. The Warriors scored only 16 in the second quarter as Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins had some shooting struggles. Phoenix led the game 50-48 going into halftime, but a thrilling finish was expected as both teams showed a great desire to come out as winners.

After going quiet in the second quarter, Poole once again took over the game with his brilliance. He made some big 3's in the third quarter to keep the Warriors in the game, but Mikal Bridges was also in great offensive flow and kept racking buckets for the Suns. Going into the fourth quarter, the scores were 77-75 in favor of the Suns.

Both teams went back and forth in the fourth, but the Suns, like they have been all season, were brilliant in the clutch. Chris Paul made some big buckets, including a game-winning layup to give the team a 107-103 win on the road. With this loss, the Dubs moved to fourth place in the West, while the Suns tied their franchise record for most wins in the regular season.

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