Announced as exciting at the end of its first match, the series between Lakers and Suns could not be more balanced at the dawn of Game 3 (1-1). However, an unpredictable deal could already have ruined the balance of power between the two teams.
I heard a crackle.
These kinds of words, coming from the mouth of an NBA player, are never reassuring. They are even less so when they come from a major player, who is more a connoisseur of his body after long years spent on the court. These are however those delivered by Chris Paul, following Game 1 between his Suns and the Lakers.
Placed in the center of attention following his poor contact with his teammate Cam Johnson, Point God wanted to be reassuring about his state of health in view of Game 2. His performance, like his statistics of 6 points, 5 assists and 3 loss of ball on the meeting, finally betrayed him. Monty Williams did not try to use the wooden tongue in a press conference.
It’s pretty obvious. He is not able to make the passes he would like. He’s been in trouble all evening. I don’t want to go into too much detail until I talk to him about it. But you could see his arm was… He wasn’t even running and dribbling like he was doing this morning with the ball.
A pillar of his team’s game this season, CP3 went through Tuesday’s game in an almost ghostly way. The rare actions of which he was the author highlighted his discomfort more than anything else. A first rebound streak, captured by Anthony Slater from The Athletic, shows that the leader of Phoenix was playing with serious embarrassment.
Instead of picking up the puff with his right hand, as the logic of the action would have it, Paul opts for a left hand bounce, saving his other arm. This physical disorder was not subsequently confirmed on the other side of the field, where he repeatedly lacked the strength to send joint laser passes for him.
A vision too painful for his coach, who therefore decided to do without his services for more than 14 minutes in the second half.
It was my choice. Just seeing him hold his arm like he did, I couldn’t see him any longer like that. He tried to do good deeds. He fought. I just decided to replace it.
A choice that can be understood, but which has proved detrimental for the Arizona franchise. Without the talent of their leader in the clutch, Devin Booker and his partners conceded a fatal 14-23 in the last 6 minutes. They will therefore hope to see his state of health improve in the coming hours, under penalty of presenting themselves severely disabled for the rest of the series.
Because a Suns team without a worthy Chris Paul would never have grabbed 2nd place in the West, the evolution of his injury will deserve maximum attention for the rest of the series. The Lakers, them, did not ask for so much to return to the game.
