After announcing star point guard Chris Paul will miss Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference finals, the Rockets are a game up, but a man down. They nearly are at the top of the mountain, but the hardest part has gotten a whole lot harder.
That’s where things stand going into Saturday’s Game 6. The Rockets pulled off a pivotal Game 5 win, 98-94, to put the Warriors a game from elimination — the first time since Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals that Golden State has faced such a scenario — but not without cost. Paul strained his right hamstring toward the end of a game in which he recorded 20 points, including 18 in the second half, along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Worse yet for Houston, Paul’s status for a potential Game 7 has been thrown into doubt. The team said in a statement Paul will be reevaluated after the Rockets return to Houston following Game 6.
Paul, who is averaging 21.1 points on 45.9 percent shooting from the field in the playoffs, is as big a cog in Houston’s league-leading offense as anybody this side of James Harden. So, his absence makes Draymond Green’s proclamation — “We still winning this,” the Warriors’ forward told The Athletic — more likely to come true.
Without Paul, expect Harden to run the show for Houston, as he did all of last season. When Harden sits, the Rockets will need to rely on the playmaking capabilities of Eric Gordon, who coach Mike D’Antoni said will start in Paul’s place, and Trevor Ariza. Aaron Jackson is the only other listed point guard on the roster, and he isn’t about to get playoff minutes.
James Harden, who has struggled offensively in the past two games and went 0-for-11 on 3-pointers in Game 5, rolled his eyes when asked if Paul’s injury puts more pressure on him.
“Pressure for what? It’s Game 6 of the Western Conference finals,” he said. “There is pressure on everybody.”
D’Antoni may have to extend what has been a seven-man rotation. Luc Mbah a Moute, Nene, Ryan Anderson, or even Joe Johnson could see minutes as the Rockets try to navigate the reality of being without the nine-time All-Star.
Golden State also is dealing with its own injury situation. Andre Iguodala missed Games 4 and 5 with a left lateral leg contusion, an absence the Warriors felt in losing both games. Iguodala is questionable for Game 6 and the Warriors may not be able to afford to go without him, as their offense was completely out of sync during late and close situations during the past two contests.
Having Iguodala would help mitigate that, as coach Steve Kerr could slot him next to Golden State’s four superstars — Green, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson — in those scenarios. Instead, Kerr has had to use Quinn Cook, who ended up missing a pivotal 3-point attempt in the closing minute of Game 5.
“I love Quinn taking that shot late,” Kerr said Friday, according to the Mercury News. “You’ve just got to play and don’t worry about anything else.”
With Paul missing Game 6, it may not matter. The Warriors opened as 10.5-point favorites, which shifted to 12 when Paul’s absence became official. Harden will need to carry an even bigger offensive load for the Rockets than the 22.1 field goal attempts he currently is averaging per game in the postseason. Even so, Houston will need to find another way to try to limit Curry with Paul gone.
“I feel great about where we are right now,” Kerr said after Game 5, according to The Athletic. “That may sound crazy, but I feel it. I know exactly what I’m seeing out there, and we defended them beautifully tonight. We got everything we needed. Just too many turnovers, too many reaches, and if we settle down a little bit, we’re going to be in really good shape.”
— with AP
