Chris Paul and Doc Rivers automatically share a kinship with their point guard mentalities.

"We obviously are starting to get a better feel for each other, and our communication," Paul said after Monday night's game in New Orleans. "We're two point guards always talking like that. At times we bump heads. But I think the thing that I love and I appreciate about Doc is that he is as involved in the game as I am. He wants to win just as bad as I do."

Rivers has allowed Paul the freedom to call the plays.

"I don't have to get up to call a play because he knows the play that I'm about to call," Rivers said. "He's already calling the set and we're into our sets with 23 and 22 seconds [left on the 24-second shot clock]. There's no turning around to see what I want and we're getting into the set with 16 seconds left. That's a big difference."