NBA: Suns’ Chris Paul out at least 1 week, could miss Games 3-5
FILE–Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns. Steph Chambers/Getty Images/AFP
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul will be re-evaluated in one week and is likely to be unavailable until a potential Game 6 with the Denver Nuggets, The Athletic reported.
A left groin injury knocked Paul out of Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals at Denver on Monday night.
Phoenix fell behind 2-0 in the best-of-seven series in a 97-87 loss to the Nuggets on Monday night, finishing the game without Paul in the game — or at the arena — due to the injury.
The good news for Paul and the Suns could be the long layoff in the series schedule. Game 3 is Friday in Phoenix, one day before Paul’s 38th birthday.
“We’re not quite sure what it is right now,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said.
Cameron Payne likely would replace Paul with Devin Booker assuming more point guard responsibilities if the Suns don’t have their lead point guard for Game 3.
The worry for Phoenix was that Paul couldn’t push off his left leg at all on Monday night when he exited the game, according to Williams, which limited casual movements and all but erased any explosive burst with the ball.
The 12-time All-Star exited with 4:32 left in the third quarter after tangling with Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope while trying to get rebounding positioning. Paul quickly grabbed at his groin area when he came down.
Paul, in his 18th NBA season, ended the night with eight points, six assists and five rebounds in 25 minutes.
In Phoenix’s five-game series win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, Paul averaged 13.6 points, 8.2 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals.
He appeared in 59 games during the regular season, putting up 13.9 points, 8.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds per contest.
On this day in 2015, Chris Paul fought through a hamstring injury for this tough Playoff game-winner. pic.twitter.com/j1cQpVLVMu
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 2, 2023
Paul’s prime playoff appearances have been hindered by injuries in the past. He hurt his right hamstring with the Houston Rockets leading the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals in 2018, and wrist and finger injuries slowed him down against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals with the Suns.
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