In 2010–11, Paul had another injury scare on March 6, 2011, suffering a concussion after colliding with Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions and being carried off the court on a stretcher. He returned two games later, registering 33 points and 15 assists against the Sacramento Kings. With Paul playing a full season, the Hornets qualified for the playoffs and were matched up with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Paul had a "historically great" performance in the series, contributing 33 points, 14 assists, and 4 steals in Game 1 and 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists in Game 4. His final averages were 22 points, 6.7 rebounds, 11.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on 54.5 percent shooting. New Orleans were eliminated in six games, and ownership, fearing that Paul would leave the franchise via free agency, began actively pursuing a trade that would provide the team equitable compensation in return for his services.