Paul beats Robertson's steal record

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NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans' Chris Paul set an NBA record with a steal in his 106th straight regular-season game Wednesday night.

Paul broke Alvin Robertson's mark set between November 1985 and December 1986. Robertson was playing for San Antonio when he set the previous mark of 105, which Paul tied Tuesday night in Memphis.

Paul broke the record when he stole the ball from San Antonio's Tony Parker with 3:43 left in the second quarter. The crowd immediately recognized the record and stood in applause.

"It's just something that he does. He has great anticipation and the biggest thing is he's always around that ball somewhere, a lot like Alvin when he played," said Hornets coach Byron Scott, who was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers when Robertson set the previous record. "Chris is the same way. Guys think they got layups and then all of a sudden, here he comes. So, that's an amazing record."

Michael Jordan had the third-longest streak in that category, swiping the ball in 77 consecutive regular-season games from March of 1988 to March of 1989.

Paul's streak began on April 13, 2007, when the Hornets, still displaced by Hurricane Katrina, hosted the Denver Nuggets in Oklahoma City. It nearly came to an end last Jan. 23, when he didn't make his first steal in a game against Portland until 3:12 remained in the fourth quarter.

"He's been such a good player, offensively, and when that happens, I think most fans and people recognize that about players," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. "They look at what people score, but very few players get credit for what they do at the other end of the floor also, especially if they're good offensively. So [the streak] brings attention to what he does at the other end of the floor and I think that's great because he deserves credit for it."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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