Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul‘s status is in doubt for Games 3 and 4 against the Denver Nuggets this weekend because of his left groin strain, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
He is expected to push for a return, but the possibility of recovering by Friday’s Game 3 in the Western Conference semifinals is believed to be a significant challenge, sources said. The Suns have officially listed Paul as day-to-day.
Paul appeared to sustain the injury after battling to box out Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope late in the third quarter in Game 2 on Monday. He checked out of the game with 4:32 remaining in the quarter and immediately headed to the locker room.
Paul, who turns 38 on Saturday, has dealt with playoff injuries multiple times throughout his surefire Hall of Fame career. He has missed eight career playoff games due to injury, most notably a hamstring strain that sidelined Paul for the last two games of the 2018 Western Conference finals, when his Houston Rockets built a 3-2 lead but lost to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.
Paul is averaging 12.4 points and 7.4 assists during this postseason. He has the Suns’ best plus-minus in the playoffs, as Phoenix has outscored opponents by 39 points over seven games with Paul on the floor.
The series shifts to Phoenix on Friday with the Suns trailing 2-0 to the Nuggets.