Clippers coach Doc Rivers said his "guess" is that Chris Paul will not play in Game 1 against the Rockets due to the hamstring injury he suffered in Game 7 against the Spurs. The team officially listed him as questionable. The Clippers are scheduled to start their second-round series on Monday.
Chris Paul likely to miss Game 1 vs. Rockets with hamstring injury, Doc Rivers says
Paul battled through a hamstring injury to beat the Spurs with a layup in Game 7, but it may keep him out for a few days.
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Paul tweaked the hamstring late in the first quarter and immediately grabbed at it. He hit a three-pointer on that possession, but had to sub out and go to the locker room right after, not returning for six minutes of game action. In the third quarter, Paul tweaked it again while driving into the lane and again had to sub out, although he stayed on the bench and later returned. Here’s where he tweaked it for the second time.
This news makes what Paul did on Saturday even more incredible. He beat the Spurs with a game-winning shot and finished with 27 points and six assists on 9-of-13 shooting despite clearly favoring one leg for much of the game.
If the Clippers don't have Paul in Game 1, their only backups are Austin Rivers and deep reserve Lester Hudson. Expect to see a lot of Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin handling the ball.
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