The Houston Rockets earned a thrilling Game 5 victory on Thursday, moving one win away from The Finals with a 98-94 triumph over the Golden State Warriors.
It came with significant cost, however, as point guard Chris Paul suffered a right hamstring injury in the final minute.
Already dealing with a sore foot, Paul reached for his hamstring after a drive to the basket, limping noticeably before checking out of the game.
Asked if Paul would play in Saturday’s Game 6, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said, “We’ll see.” He did say Paul is “worried” about the injury.
Paul finished the game with another quality performance, scoring 18 of his 20 points in the second half. He also recorded seven rebounds, six assists and three steals to go with zero turnovers.
His effort was critical with All-Star teammate James Harden struggling with his shot throughout the game, going 0-for-11 from 3-point range. Also picking up the slack was sixth man Eric Gordon, who D’Antoni says will be the team’s playmaker should Paul miss Game 6.
“[The trainers] will do whatever they can do,” D’Antoni said. “If [Paul’s] there, great. If he isn’t, we have enough guys. We’ll be all right.”
Paul will be re-evaluated on Friday, with Game 6 tipping off on Saturday at 9 ET.
