Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns will miss Game 3 due to a left groin strain sustained in Game 2.
Without their top point guard, the Phoenix Suns will have to win Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets.
Chris Paul’s left groin strain from Game 2 of the series, which the Suns are trailing 2-0, has caused him to be formally ruled out of Friday’s Game 3 in Phoenix (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). For as long as Paul is out due to injury, the team will probably look to backup guard Cameron Payne to fill in.
“We’ve been in these situations before where we’ve had guys go down and we’ve had a number of guys step up,” Suns coach Monty Williams said on Thursday. “We’re hopeful that a few lineup changes — not just Cam Payne — but a few of the other players and a little bit more floor spacing can help us.”
3 times an All-Star The squad has spent the last few days going over different scenarios, according to Devin Booker. The Nuggets and Suns had three days off between Games 2 and 3 in an odd scheduling decision.
What Chris gives to the club cannot be replaced, Booker stated on Wednesday. He’ll still be there, leading and speaking out, but we’ll simply have to find other ways to win without doing what he does on the court.
The good news for the Suns is that they have successfully navigated a similar situation in the playoffs.
Paul suffered a shoulder injury during the team’s 2021 run to the Finals, which prevented him from playing for a number of games in the first round. Due to being placed under COVID-19 protocol, he also missed the opening two games of the Western Conference Finals against the Clippers.
In Paul’s absence, the backup Payne excelled, scoring 29 points in a win over the Clippers in Game 2 that was probably the greatest of his career.
Due to a number of injuries, the 6-foot-1 Payne was only able to play in 48 games during the regular season, but when healthy, he averaged 10.3 points per contest. Due to a bad back, he missed the majority of the Suns’ first-round series against the LA Clippers, but he has participated in the last three games.
Payne’s unconventional, jerky-jerky playing style has worked well for the Suns during his tenure with them. Phoenix’s bench players will all need to contribute on Friday, not just him. Others who might have a bigger role include Landry Shamet, Terrence Ross, Damion Lee, and T.J. Warren.
Star forward Kevin Durant remarked on Thursday that his team would miss Chris and what he adds to the team. “We just need to get outside and play our games with each other. We make an effort not to dwell on it too much.
The first two games of the series were both won by the Nuggets by double digits, 125-107 in Game 1 and 97-87 in Game 2.
According to Nuggets coach Michael Malone, “our game plan remains the same whether it’s Chris Paul, Cameron Payne, or Landry Shamet.” We are aware that they have two excellent players in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Additionally, they will have their home audience watching them. We’re going to demand their best effort because we’re behind 2-0.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
