Chris Paul has had some bad luck in the postseason when it comes to injuries, but the Phoenix Suns guard said that his poor performance in Game 4 had nothing to do with the hand injury he suffered in the Western Conference Finals.
Paul suffered partially torn ligaments in his right hand against the Clippers, although it did not force him to miss a game. Even with the injury he dropped 41 points in the closeout game in what might be the most important performance of his storied career.
Paul gave a quick response when asked about the hand injury.
“No, I’m good,” he told reporters. “Good.”
His coach, Monty Williams, backed up that claim.
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Williams told reporters. “Other than having to deal with me, he’s good.”
Paul has been banged up in these playoffs. Against the Lakers in the first round, he dealt with a shoulder injury that limited him fairly severely. However, he was able to overcome that — and seemingly the hand — to help lead to Suns to the brink of an NBA championship.
Paul Says Short Memory Key to Overcoming Struggles
Paul, who turned 36 in May, has been a steadying force for the Suns this postseason, averaging 18.7 points, 8.6 assists and shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc. But his Game 4 performance — which featured just 10 points and five turnovers — left many wanting more from him, especially with the chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead on the Bucks, who are now surging as the series shifts back to Phoenix.
“In this league when you play long enough — I feel like I done played at least for a little while — you have to have a short memory,” Paul said. “You can’t dwell on it, win or lose. If you win by 20, if you lose by 20, you start back over 0-0. You go from there. That’s sort of always been the mindset.”
Williams isn’t too worried about his star bouncing back, understanding how he’s wired and his desire to win a title, something that’s evaded him over his 16 seasons in the league.
“I just see Chris being Chris. He’s always intentional about everything. He’s focused. I find myself struggling when I can’t help him. That’s what we’ve talked about the last couple of days. But Chris is fine. He’s focused. He’s always about winning,” Williams said. “The conversations are all about basketball right now. We know what’s in front of us. You know Chris Paul, I mean, everybody in here has seen him. There’s not a person in our locker room that’s not expecting him to not come out and play really well the next game.”
Suns Still Favored to Win the NBA Finals
Despite dropping the last two games, the Suns are still favored to win the NBA Finals and capture the franchise’s first championship.
Phoenix is -145 to win the title, per Odds Shark, which is mostly due to the Suns holding the home-court advantage. If the series does go to Game 7, it would be back in Phoenix.
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