An awkward landing and hamstring injury removed Chris Paul from the court during the Houston Rockets’ Game 5 win over the Golden State Warriors, and the earliest report isn’t a promising one.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, a Rockets source said Friday that Paul’s hamstring isn’t feeling good.
"Not good," a Rockets source replied to a text asking about Chris Paul (hamstring) feels this morning.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 25, 2018
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni wasn’t optimistic about the injury immediately after Game 5, and the limited-to-no improvement overnight could be discouraging for the team.
After all, CP3 has played a leading role in his squad taking a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Paul scored 18 second-points to guide Houston past Golden State 98-94 on Thursday, and he netted 27 points in the Rockets’ Game 4 win. Paul said he’ll be alright, but Houston fans surely are concerned.
This report doesn’t mean CP3 won’t be available for Games 6 or 7. However, the best-case scenario appears that Paul will be dealing with a nagging injury in a potential series-clinching game (or two).
And with a motivated Warriors team on the other side, any limitation could be hugely problematic for CP3 and Houston.