Suns guard Chris Paul, dealing with a groin injury, will not play against the Nuggets in Game 5 on Tuesday, per the team’s injury report Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Paul missed Games 2, 3 and 4 with left groin tightness. He appeared to suffer the injury with just under five minutes left in the third quarter of Game 2 after going up for a defensive rebound against Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
- Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each had 36 points in Phoenix’s Game 4 win on Sunday. Nuggets star Nikola Jokić dropped 53 in defeat.
- The Western Conference semifinals matchup is tied 2-2. Game 5 is Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET in Denver.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How big of a hit is this?
There’s been some chatter that the Suns have been better without Paul. Not true. While Paul has slowed — he just turned 38 on Saturday — he still brings a lot. He can get to the elbow and sink his trademark shot. He can create off the pick-and-roll. (In seven postseason games before he got hurt, Paul assisted on about a third of Deandre Ayton’s field goals. Ayton struggled in Games 3 and 4 for a lot of reasons, but Paul’s absence was a contributing factor.)
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No doubt, Phoenix has been different without Paul. The Suns have played faster. His absence also has forced coach Monty Williams to go deeper into his bench, which has been a positive. But to suggest the Suns are better off without the Point God just isn’t true. They need him back ASAP. — Haller
Backstory
The Athletic reported last week that Phoenix was preparing to be without Paul for Games 3, 4 and 5.
The 12-time NBA All-Star is averaging 13.9 points, 8.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds per contest this season.
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(Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today)
