Chris Paul has been unbelievable for the Houston Rockets the past two games, both of which were wins for the team in the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. So, it was quite a stunning blow to learn Friday morning that the veteran point guard won’t be suiting up for Game 6 when the team plays in Oakland and attempts to close out the series, up 3-2.
Speaking to the media shortly after the news broke, head coach Mike D’Antoni opened up a bit about what this injury means for the team, and for its injured star.
D’Antoni on Chris Paul pic.twitter.com/HKNOVFTCGk
— Brian T. Smith (@BTSmithUK) May 25, 2018
“Well, I mean, obviously this is not something that we wanted,” D’Antoni said. “I hate it for him, above all. He’s practically won us the last two games. But, a great opportunity for other guys, and we have plenty to choose from. And we’ll be ready.”
When asked about whether Paul could potentially play in Game 7, D’Antoni was noncommittal, but he also didn’t seem very optimistic about the proposition.
Paul appeared to injure his hamstring late in Game 5 after landing awkwardly. He has since been diagnosed with a strained hamstring and is being ruled day-to-day. Before being ruled out, it was reported that the injury did not look good.
He’s been unbelievable in this series, and during the playoffs as a whole. Needless to say, Houston’s other players will need to step up in a big way in Paul’s absence to close out the series on Oakland Saturday.