LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Chris Paul will miss Houston’s Western Conference finals decider against Golden State on Monday after losing his battle to be fit, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni confirmed.
Paul, 33, was injured in the final seconds of game five on Thursday and missed game six on Saturday when the Warriors scored a series-leveling 115-86 victory.
The Rockets ace had been hoping to recover from a sore right hamstring but has now conceded defeat in his attempts to play in game seven.
“He’s just not right,” D’Antoni told reporters, just hours ahead of the game in Houston.
Paul’s injury is a potentially devastating blow for the Rockets, who are aiming to advance to an NBA finals showdown with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Paul joined Houston last year from the Los Angeles Clippers, and had averaged 21.1 points per game with 5.8 assists since the start of the playoffs.
© Agence France-Presse