Getty Suns' Chris Paul and Monty Williams
Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams told reporters after Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets that point guard Chris Paul couldn’t push off his left leg following a box-out with Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
CP3 left the game due to left groin tightness and his status is uncertain as the series shifts to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4.
“Just looked like he was boxing out and he just came up where he couldn’t push off of it or anything,” Williams said after Game 2. “We’re not quite sure what it is right now, but it seems to be something in the groin area. So we’ll find out more tomorrow.”
This isn’t the first time in his career Paul has suffered an injury in the playoffs. The future Hall of Famer has missed eight career postseason games due to injury. The Suns are down 2-0 to the Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals after losing Games 1 and 2 in Denver. They were up by three points when Paul exited Game 2. The Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic, outscored the Suns by 13 to close out the win with Paul in the locker room.
One of the best players in NBA history, Paul is averaging 12.4 points and 7.4 assists in the 2023 playoffs while shooting 41.8% from the field and 32.1% from beyond the arc. If the 12-time All-Star is unable to play moving forward, Cameron Payne will have to fill in for him.
Devin Booker: ‘All We Can Do Is Hope He Has a Speedy Recovery’
Suns superstar shooting guard Devin Booker said after Game 2 that all the team can do is hope for a speedy recovery for Paul, who turns 38 on May 6.
“All we can do is hope he has a speedy recovery,” Booker said. “We’re going to be behind him. We’re going to hold it down while he is out, or if he’s out, and just take it from there. … I mean, the playoffs is a lot. A lot comes with this. So you just have to embrace it. Embrace the challenge. Embrace the opportunity that we have right now, even down 0-2. Get back home, protect our home court and go from there. But a lot is on all of our plates and that’s everybody throughout the playoffs right now.”
Booker is averaging 35.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists this postseason. The three-time All-Star is second in points per game, trailing only Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler (35.5).
Nuggets Predicted to Beat Suns in 6 Games
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report thinks the Nuggets will beat the Suns in six games to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
“Nuggets in 6,” Swartz wrote on May 2. “Even with Chris Paul (nearly 38) and Durant (turns 35 in September) playing on the back nine of their careers, Phoenix’s best chance to win a title may actually be next year when this unit has gotten to spend more time together. Denver’s chemistry, depth and talent win out here.”
The Suns don’t have good depth, as they only got four bench points in Game 2. Meanwhile, the Nuggets got 13 points from their reserves.