Paul Westphal

Retired

Phoenix Suns · G · 5× NBA All-Star · 4× All-NBA · 12 NBA seasons

Paul Westphal recorded 930 NBA appearances across 12 seasons with Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder.

15.6

career pts/gm

1.9

career reb/gm

4.4

career ast/gm

823

career games

Five defining games

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A researched consensus introduction to Paul Westphal's defining games.

Editorial methodology and sources

Cross-checked official NBA, Celtics, and Suns histories, Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor coverage, 1976 Finals retrospectives, playoff series records, career highs, and archived box scores. The order centers Westphal's cerebral and statistical authorship of Phoenix's first Finals run, then preserves the 1979 near-breakthrough, his scoring summit, and the Boston championship that formed his winning foundation.

#1. Westphal scored 25 points and made the audacious decision to call an unavailable timeout with one second left in the second overtime, accepting a technical free throw to advance the ball and create the tying play in the 1976 Finals Game 5 classic. Suns: Hall of Famer Paul Westphal and the timeout that extended Game 5 · NBA official Suns–Celtics Finals Game 5 box score
#2. Westphal supplied 28 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals as Phoenix beat Boston 109–107 in overtime in 1976 Finals Game 4, evening the franchise's first championship series at two games apiece. Suns: Westphal's first season in Phoenix reaches the NBA Finals · NBA official Celtics–Suns Finals Game 4 box score
#3. Westphal produced 27 points and five assists as Phoenix won 99–93 at Seattle in 1979 Western Conference finals Game 5, giving the Suns a 3–2 lead and moving them within one victory of a second Finals trip. NBA: Phoenix's 1979 conference-finals run · NBA official Suns–SuperSonics Game 5 box score
#4. Westphal set his career scoring high with 49 points on 19 field goals while adding two rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block as Phoenix won 125–116 at Detroit during his third and final All-NBA First Team season. NBA: Paul Westphal's three All-NBA First Team selections · NBA official Suns–Pistons box score
#5. Westphal contributed 12 points, six assists, three rebounds, and a steal as Boston routed Milwaukee 102–87 on the road in 1974 Finals Game 7, earning the championship that supplied the winning experience Phoenix sought when trading for him one year later. Suns: Westphal's Boston championship and Phoenix Hall of Fame legacy · NBA official Celtics–Bucks Finals Game 7 box score

Reviewed through 2026-07-18

Consensus #1

Phoenix Suns vs Boston Celtics

25 PTS · 2 REB · 2 AST · 2 STL

Consensus #2

Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns

28 PTS · 5 REB · 9 AST · 3 STL

Consensus #3

Western ConferenceFinals

Phoenix Suns vs Seattle SuperSonics

27 PTS · 1 REB · 5 AST · 1 STL

Consensus #4

Phoenix Suns vs Detroit Pistons

49 PTS · 2 REB · 2 AST · 1 STL · 1 BLK

Consensus #5

Eastern ConferenceFirst Round

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks

12 PTS · 3 REB · 6 AST · 1 STL

Single-game records

Career-high games

One verified indexed game for each major box-score category.

Career high · Points (49)

Phoenix Suns vs Detroit Pistons

49 PTS · 2 REB · 2 AST · 1 STL · 1 BLK

Career high · Assists (14)

Chicago Bulls vs Phoenix Suns

20 PTS · 4 REB · 14 AST · 3 STL · 1 BLK

Career high · Rebounds (10)

New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns

19 PTS · 10 REB · 8 AST · 3 STL · 3 BLK

Career high · Steals (8)

Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Jazz

23 PTS · 4 REB · 7 AST · 8 STL · 1 BLK

Career high · Blocks (4)

Dallas Mavericks vs Seattle SuperSonics

27 PTS · 2 REB · 5 AST · 4 BLK

Career accomplishments

4× All-NBA5× NBA All-Star12 NBA seasons930 career appearances14,146 career points107 playoff appearancesCareer high: 49 pointsCareer high: 10 reboundsCareer high: 14 assists

Career honors stored from Basketball Reference

Paul Westphal

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Career-high games

Career accomplishments

Team history

NBA appearances

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Career-high games