Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul will miss Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rocketson Monday with a strained left hamstring.
“I just don’t think he was healthy enough to play,” coach Doc Rivers said. “I guess in a Game 7, he probably could have played, I’m not even sure with that. I just don’t think the risk is worth it. I pretty much knew all day. I just had to wait for [Clippers head athletic trainer Jasen Powell] to tell me for sure but I honestly had made my mind up. They were going to have to change my mind more than tell me that he was healthy.”
Paul, who has been getting around the clock treatment since suffering a left hamstring strain in Saturday’s series-clinching win over the San Antonio Spurs, went through a light shootaround with the team on Monday and the decision to sit him for the game was made soon after that.
“I’ve had the injury,” Rivers said. “I just don’t like playing with it. It’s not worth it because if you re-injure that you’re done and to me it wasn’t worth the risk.”
Rivers wasn’t sure how long Paul would be out with the injury but admitted Paul could potentially miss Game 2 on Wednesday as well before the series moves to Los Angeles on Friday. Rivers did say he expected Paul to be back at some point during the series.