The Suns go on 16-0 and 11-0 runs late in the game to pull away from the Nuggets and take Game 1.

And in Game 1 of the Phoenix Suns' Western Conference semifinal series against the visiting Denver Nuggets, Paul began slowly, hitting just two of his eight shots through three quarters.

Paul's command of the game was on full display, with him methodically asserting himself early in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 consecutive points for the Suns as they widened their lead.

The Suns are the first team since the 2013 Golden State Warriors (Game 2 in Round 1) with four 20-point scorers on 55% shooting from the floor in a playoff game.

"That's what I've said all season long: We have a team," Paul said?

It's something he is still dealing with, but as Paul already gets better the longer the game goes on, his shoulder also does.

The Suns don't necessarily have a template to lean on Paul late in games the way the Oklahoma City Thunder did when Paul led the league in clutch-time scoring a season ago.

At 36 years old, Paul is the oldest player in NBA history with 20 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds in a playoff game; only four other players -- James (six times), Elgin Baylor, John Stockton and Dennis Johnson -- have put up that stat line at age 35 or older

"Man, it's a different game for him these days from when I was watching him play," Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said of Paul