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Is This The Mother Of All Ankle-Breakers, Or Did Chris Paul Just Step On Paul George’s Foot?

Chris Paul is really good at basketball. You knew this. He’s the best point guard in the game, and one of the best of all time. His presence has propelled the Clippers franchise to a completely different level over the last two seasons. His ability to handle an offense is second to none. Given his sublime talents, it’s no surprise to see him embarrass a defender.

But the Pacers’ Paul George is also really good at basketball. He’s fresh off making his first All-Star team, and his defensive skills (his coach said last month, “I’ve never really seen a defender like Paul George”). Even on the league’s top defensive team, his efforts stand out. So when you knock him to the ground with your ballhandling, we have to wonder: well, was it actually your ballhandling that did it, or did you just step on the other guy’s foot?

At first I didn’t consider the step-on-foot possibility, but upon further review, I’m putting foot-stepping odds at greater than 50 percent. Still, though, this was a brilliant sequence from Paul. If you told me he intentionally lost the ball afterward just to give himself some degree of difficulty before (of course) draining the three – he had 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists in 35 minutes last night – I’d believe it. But mostly, I’ll just appreciate this glimpse of a truly elite player at the top of his game – and the fact that the NBA is this filthy rich with awesome players right now.