In the 2018 Western Conference finals, Paul pulled a hamstring just as the Houston Rockets had the Golden State Warriors on the ropes. But this is a bad movie Paul has lived too many times throughout his Hall of Fame career. Time is running out for Paul and the Suns to heal and regain the swagger they brought with them into the playoffs. You gotta overcome it and get through it." "I know I do everything on a daily basis to prepare myself to be ready to play. "It is what it is: You control what you can control," Paul said. The defending champion Lakers were always going to be a betting favorite against the second-seeded Suns, despite their seventh seed and myriad questions about their health, chemistry and consistency.īut the story of this series thus far has been Paul's shoulder injury, not the Lakers regaining their championship form. No matter how hard it would be for the 36-year-old to see what had seemed like a golden, late-career opportunity to win a championship slip away. No matter how much Paul pleads his case by citing Kobe Bryant quotes and videos. "I'm not going to put him in harm's way." "I'll watch his face to see if I see the same look I typically see from him on a night-in, night-out basis," Williams said before the Suns' 109-95 loss to the Lakers on Thursday night dropped them into a 2-1 hole in the series. There's a look Paul gets when he's locked in - something between completely in control and about to jump into any fray - and then there's the look he had on his face throughout this first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers while playing through yet another ill-timed, painful injury. LOS ANGELES - By now, Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams knows what's going on with star point guard Chris Paul by the look on his face. He's had stops with Oklahoma City, Chicago and Cleveland since the Thunder selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĢ021 NBA playoffs: Chris Paul continues to be haunted by postseason injuries Payne averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 assists in 48 games for the Suns last season. In a crucial two-game stretch in the Suns' 2021 NBA Finals run, Payne started for an injured Paul and responded with an average of 20 points and nine assists, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He had a 31-point performance in Game 6 of the 2023 Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets, and he started the final four games of the postseason for Phoenix. Payne, 29, had a terrific run as a backup point guard to Chris Paul in Phoenix over the past three years. The Spurs have several young guards they're planning to build around on the roster, and Payne will ultimately make more sense for a contending team's roster. The Spurs acquired Payne along with a 2025 second-round draft pick and $5.6 million in a July trade with the Suns. Should Payne clears waivers this week, he'll have a significant market of contending teams looking to add him - especially after his productive postseason performance for the Phoenix Suns in the 2023 Western Conference playoffs. The San Antonio Spurs are waiving veteran guard Cameron Payne, clearing the way for him to join a contending team that can offer him a larger role, sources told ESPN on Monday.
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