Suns suffer a possible big injury amid big loss to Nuggets in Game 2
May 2, 2023, 9:32 AM | Updated: 4:18 pm
Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns in the second half of Game Three of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 20, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
The Phoenix Suns could be without their future Hall of Fame starting point guard in the second-round against the Denver Nuggets.
Chris Paul left Monday’s Game 2 with a groin injury in the middle of the third quarter. Paul only played 25 minutes, scoring eight points, adding six helpers and five boards while going a team-best plus-eight.
chris paul grabbing at his groin after this play here pic.twitter.com/pgytRjqaES
— Cage (@ridiculouscage) May 2, 2023
Paul never returned and left Ball Arena very quickly.
Monty Williams said Chris Paul couldn’t push off “at all” after his groin injury. Suns will learn more about severity tomorrow. Paul already left the arena.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 2, 2023
Paul, turns 38 this week, has dealt with playoff injuries almost every year in the playoffs. A hamstring injury was sidelined him for two games of the 2018 Western Conference finals when his Houston Rockets lost a 3-2 lead. Paul has missed eight playoff games and was averaging 13.2 points and 7.7 assists per game in this postseason entering Game 2.
Paul will have some time to rest with Game 3 not coming until Friday.
Once Paul left, the Nuggets outscored the Suns 46-28 to win 97-87 and take a 2-0 lead in the series. The Suns went 12-11 without CP3 this season.
This story was first published by Sactown Sports‘ sister station, Denver Sports.
