Warriors' Chris Paul: 'It Was Different' Coming Off Bench in Win Over Rockets

Chris Paul acknowledged the contrast between starting and coming off the bench following the Golden State Warriors' 106-95 win against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

"it was different," Paul said. "It's definitely different, but at the end of the day, it's basketball, you know. And so for me, the warmup is different, you know. A lot of it was, but once you get out there playing in the game, now it's, it's hooping."

The 12-time All-Star came off the bench for the first time in his career, recording 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists in 27 minutes.

Despite shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and missing all three of his attempts from behind the arc, Paul had a team-high plus-minus of plus-22 and was a member of Golden State's closing lineup.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr praised his willingness to accept a reserve role, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

"It's massive," Kerr said. "It's massive the way Chris has embraced everything here in the first month since he's been with us."

"When a vet, a great player, an All-Star shows that kind of sacrifice, it sets the tone for the whole team," he later added.

Paul had started in 1,365 consecutive games throughout his 19-year career before coming off the bench on Sunday. The 38-year-old was replaced by Draymond Green, who suited up in his first contest of the season after missing time due to an ankle injury that he suffered in training camp.

Green played on a minutes restriction, recording 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 50 percent shooting in his 21 minutes on the court.

The Warriors moved to 2-1 after the victory and will look to continue their streak with a Monday night matchup against the 2-0 New Orleans Pelicans. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. ET.