Phoenix must win this sport to power a Game 7 again in Colorado and keep away from elimination after dropping Tuesday evening.
Unfortunately, the Suns are going to be with out future Hall of Fame level guard Chris Paul for this all-important matchup. Sidelined since struggling a groin damage in Game 2, Paul has formally been dominated out for Thursday evening’s outing, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Despite CP3 doing everything possible to return for the elimination sport, issues have been trending on this route for a while. Typically, groin strains of this ilk prices a participant a number of weeks of motion. Given Paul’s superior age of 38, that’s magnified additional.
In chatting with the media earlier on Wednesday, Suns head coach Monty Williams appeared to counsel {that a} Paul return for Game 6 doubtless wasn’t within the playing cards. When requested about Paul’s standing, Williams told reporters that “nothing has changed.”
The bigger challenge right here is the standing of middle Deandre Ayton. He’s being listed as questionable with a rib contusion, per MacMahon. Ayton is Phoenix’s third-leading scorer within the collection — behind Devin Booker and Kevin Durant — averaging a mere 10.8 factors per sport.
Of the gamers obtainable for Game 6, Landry Shamet at 8.0 factors per sport can be the Suns’ main scorer behind Booker and Durant if Ayton is unable to go. It would additionally result in some main matchup points on the defensive finish of the court docket with two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic averaging a triple-double at 35.0 PPG, 13.8 RPG and 10.0 APG within the collection.
Phoenix Suns look to stave off elimination with out Chris Paul
