Chris Paul briefly leaves playoff game with shoulder injury
Chris Paul left the Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Lakers playoff game in the first half on Sunday after suffering an apparent shoulder injury. Fortunately, he was not out long.
Paul went down early in the second quarter and remained on the floor clutching his neck and shoulder area. It looked like he suffered the injury when teammate Cameron Johnson accidentally collided with him. You can see the video below:
Here's the play where Paul was hurt pic.twitter.com/z2W2pDNdaK
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) May 23, 2021
Players from both teams surrounded Paul before LeBron James and others eventually helped the veteran point guard to his feet.
LeBron checking on Chris Paul after an apparent injury
Sportsmanship. pic.twitter.com/6Ccqu6nr5T
— ESPN (@espn) May 23, 2021
Paul went to the locker room but was not there long. The Suns announced that he suffered a shoulder contusion. CP3 returned to the Suns’ bench area several minutes after leaving and rejoined the huddle.
Paul has been plagued by injuries in recent years. He battled hamstring issues a few years ago that hurt the Houston Rockets’ chances of making a title run.
The Suns had a huge turnaround this season, and Paul’s presence was a big reason for that. The 36-year-old averaged 16.4 points and 8.9 assists per game during the regular season and has been a great leader for Phoenix’s young roster.
