'He's built for these moments' -- Chris Paul takes over in 4th quarter to lead Phoenix Suns to Game 1 win over New Orleans Pelicans

PHOENIX — First Chris Paul heard his former teammate and coach Willie Green instruct his New Orleans Pelicans players to dare him to shoot. Then, after Paul eviscerated the strategy, he let his old friend know it.

Paul, who will turn 37 in three weeks, became the oldest player to record 30 points and 10 assists in a playoff game as put up exactly those numbers in leading the top-seeded Phoenix Suns to a 110-99 victory in Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday.

He passed Steve Nash, who did the same as a member of the Suns at age 36 in 2010. Paul is now one of just five players in history to have 10 playoff games with 30 points and 10 assists. LeBron James has the most with 22 such games, followed by Michael Jordan with 15.

Much of it came in a furious fourth-quarter rally as Paul scored 17 points in a five-minute stretch to crush a Pelicans comeback attempt. Green's choice to have his defenders give Paul space by going under pick-and-rolls backfired when Paul made three 3-pointers in a row as he attacked a switching defense that repeatedly left him up against the slower Larry Nance Jr.

«That's like inviting me shoot,» said Paul, who looked over at Green several times after splashing shots. «I know Willie, that's my man. It's all a part of the game.»

Green, who was an assistant with the Suns last season and played with Paul on the LA Clippers and then-New Orleans Hornets, used a bench-heavy lineup that cut a 23-point Phoenix lead down to just six by early in the fourth quarter.

But Paul broke the strategy as he repeatedly called for center Deandre Ayton to set a screen and force Nance into a switch. Eventually, Green had to pull Nance, who had been very effective with Paul on the bench, from the game.

«We went under