Chris Paul reinjures right shoulder as Suns takes 3-2 lead on Lakers in first round
Chris Paul #ChrisPaul
The Phoenix Suns obliterated the Los Angeles Lakers, 115-85, Tuesday night in taking a 3-2 series lead over the defending NBA champions.
Devin Booker delivered a monster Game 5 with a 30 points while Anthony Davis watched from the Lakers bench with an injured left groin.
The sellout Phoenix crowd of 16,163 still roared with deafening “BEAT L-A! BEAT L-A!” chants, but one play may once again change this series.
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With Phoenix up 33 points with 6:47 left in the third quarter, Chris Paul once again went down grabbing at the right shoulder he injured in Game 1.
“I don’t want to give an official update until I get more information,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I don’t have anything right now. He seems to be OK.”
The right shoulder had progressively been getting better, to the point Paul was screaming, “I’m back,” while posting 18 points, nine assists and zero turnovers in leading the Suns to a 100-92 Game 4 win in Los Angeles.
Then suddenly, he was down again just like Game 1 when he heard “a crack” when he collided with Cam Johnson in the first half of a 99-90 win.
“It scared me,” Paul said after Tuesday’s win. “I’ve been talking to (Toronto Raptors guard) Kyle Lowry a lot. He had a similar injury last year. A few other guys. Just a very uncomfortable feeling. Kind of helpless.”
Fouled by Wesley Matthews on a play that was reviewed but remained a common foul, Paul went to the back after sinking two free throws and didn’t return to action for the remainder of Game 5.
“At first, I was trying to see if it was a dirty play or not,” Suns forward Jae Crowder said. “Wes Matthews is my big brother. We both went to Marquette. I just went over and talked to (Matthews) and he was like, ‘I wasn’t trying to do anything dirty or hurt him. I went in for the rebound and I got a piece of him.’ ”
Paul watched the replay and concluded it was a clean play after he initially showed anger towards Matthews after being fouled on a boxout.
“We went with that,” Crowder said. “So it just happened to happen with Chris. It scared him a little bit. Hopefully he’s able to go next game. I’m sure he’ll be able to go.”
The second-seeded Suns still won in convincing fashion, but Paul said his neck and arm “snapped again” like Game 1.
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“It’s tough,” Booker said. “Obviously, it’s part of the game. Looking at the replay, I don’t think it was anything too malicious from Wes and Chris communicated that with him, but it’s unfortunate that he’s dealing with that already. It’s a physical game and plays like that happen, but he seemed in good spirits coming back out to the bench. His ability to make those two free throws and see the strength still there is good. I know he’s doing treatment around the clock. I know he’s getting ready for Thursday.”
Now the series shifts back to Los Angeles for Thursday’s Game 6 at Staples Center, where Davis may return and Paul may once again be limited as he was in Game 2 and 3, both of which the Suns lost to fall behind 2-1 in the series.
If Paul is limited, the Suns have a pretty good backup plan in Cameron Payne, who stopped, started and sped through the league’s top defense with 16 points Tuesday night, with 14 coming in the first half.
Still, Paul has been the catalyst for the resurgent Suns.
Phoenix will have two chances to get one more victory as Game 7, if necessary, is Saturday back in Phoenix, but a do-or-die game is something Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson have never experienced.
LeBron James has.
Even though he scored just seven of his 24 points in the first half when the game was actually a contest, James has been here, done that and has never lost a first round playoff series in 14 appearances.
James said his shoulders are built to take on more responsibility and that he was “ready for the challenge.”
It didn’t look like it in the first half Tuesday, but if Davis can return for Game 6 and the Lakers are able to even the series, James may return to Phoenix for a Game 7 ready to turn back the clock and have a vintage performance.
Then again, Phoenix has won the last two games of the series. A third straight victory would end the series to give Paul something he’d appreciate.
Rest.
“I could use it,” Paul said.
Paul’s injury may not be as bad as it appears, but the Suns displayed a confidence the Lakers couldn’t match Tuesday.
Momentum can swing in a series in a quarter, let alone a game.
Right now, Phoenix has it, but not as much as it would if Paul hadn’t reinjured his shoulder.
Still, they’ll have a chance Thursday to close out the defending NBA champions.
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chris Paul reinjures right shoulder as Suns takes 3-2 lead on Lakers in first round