Chris Paul turns in historic performance in Clippers’ win over New Orleans

Let’s start with the stat line, plain and simple: Clippers point guard Chris Paul finished with 20 points, 20 assists and zero turnovers in a 113-105 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night.

Next let’s go to the historical significance of those numbers: It was the first 20-point, 20-assist game of Paul’s career, and the second in Clippers history; he became the first player to record 20 or more assists and zero turnovers since the Utah Jazz’s Rickey Green did so in 1984; he is the first player, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, to finish with 20 points, 20 assists and no turnovers since the 1977–78 season, which was the first year turnovers were recorded.

Now let’s finish with Paul’s immediate reaction to all of that, which was more quintessential “Chris Paul” than any of his laser passes or pull-up jumpers throughout the game.

“I had enough turnovers in the past like three or four games,” Paul grumbled, and he even shook his head.

“Like I always say,” Paul continued. “With assists I have the easy part. Guys have to make the shot.”

Paul went on to credit DeAndre Jordan for finishing alley-oops and Marreese Speights and J.J. Redick for knocking down perimeter shots. But the win — which seemed to restore some of the Clippers’ (17-7) rhythm after dropping five of seven — was the work of the 31-year-old point guard.

Blake Griffin missed the game with knee soreness, Raymond Felton was absent for the second straight contest, and Austin Rivers left with a mild concussion late in the third quarter. That all only heightened Paul’s distributing duties. The resulting performance was nearly flawless.

“He had no turnovers?” Jordan asked, his eyes widening. “Damn. Dude’s a legend, man.”

The Clippers draw much of their offensive production from Griffin and his 20 points per game, so they were expectedly slow out of the gate Saturday. Paul finished the first quarter with five points and five assists, but was only getting started.

He found a rhythm in the second and netted eights points while dishing out three more assists. Then he found a zone in the third, scoring seven points and collecting 10 assists as the Clippers pulled away. On back-to-back-to-back possessions in the quarter, Paul found Speights on a pick and roll for his 14th assist, Speights on a pick and pop for his 15th and Rivers for a three for his 16th.

The Pelicans — who were without Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore — were merely in the way of a point guard clinic.

“The performance he had tonight was amazing,” Speights said. “I’ve never been a part of nothing like that, to have 20 assists and 20 points.”

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Coach Doc Rivers speaks at a news conference after the Clippers’ 133-105 win over the Pelicans.

And still, the most impressive number of the night was zero.

Without Griffin’s frequent isolations and intermittent one-man fastbreaks, Paul was handling the ball for almost all of the 30 minutes he played. That makes it mind-boggling that he didn’t once make an errant pass, bobble away his dribble or lose the ball in traffic. Coach Doc Rivers called Paul’s performance “beautiful.” Jordan asked Paul if he was thinking of selling his jersey from the game.

Paul naturally credited it to a good Friday practice, but did offer that he was most happy with not committing a turnover.

“That’s the first thing I look at every game, how many turnovers,” Paul said. “I’ve been getting techs in games because I had a turnover or something like that that I didn’t think was a turnover. As a point guard I’m like the quarterback, so turnovers are like interceptions.”

Interceptions can often change the entire tide of a football game. A single turnover is often a forgotten footnote in a 48-minute NBA game. It is not a surprise, especially after Saturday, that Paul sees them as one in the same.

jesse.dougherty@latimes.com

Follow Jesse Dougherty on Twitter @dougherty_jesse