2014 Round 1 Game 6 Warriors vs Clippers Playoffs Story Lines – Chris Paul’s Nagging Hamstring

2014 Round 1 Game 6 Warriors vs Clippers Playoffs Story Lines – Chris Paul’s Nagging Hamstring (Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle)

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers last night in Game 6, to even the series, 3-3. However, one lingering concern for the Clippers going into Game 7 is the health of all-star point guard Chris Paul, who seemed to be laboring with his strained hamstring.

Paul finished with just 9 points on 3-for-10 from the field, with 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 turnovers in 33 minutes of play.

Scott Howard-Cooper of Hangtime Blogs:

Chris Paul is on the court for 34 minutes, except that it’s not really Chris Paul. Maybe Cliff Paul. Maybe. But the inability to turn the corner with the ball, the challenge of staying with the Warriors’ shooters in the backcourt, that is more like CP1.5.
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The Clippers have a problem, in addition to the obvious of Golden State extending the series with the 100-99 win Thursday night at Oracle Arena. Make that problems, plural. They have an anything-can-happen Game 7 in Los Angeles on Saturday as part of a matchup where pretty much everything has happened before we even get to the actual crescendo, they have a wounded Paul while staring at a first-round elimination complete with a blown series lead for the second year in a row, and they have a concerning pattern.
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Three seasons Paul has been on the Clippers, three seasons he has been banged up in the playoffs. A strained groin that carried over from the end of the regular season in 2012 followed by a strained hip flexor in the first round against Memphis, a bruised thumb in 2013 against the same Grizzlies, and now the strained hamstring and a bruised right thumb. He has persevered enough to play big minutes each time. He just hasn’t been able to be his best.
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This time, the right leg has been a factor much of the way, from clearly being bothered in Game 1 to the Clippers openly appreciating the extra recuperation in the schedule break of two days off before Games 3 and 4, to Paul laboring along in Game 6. The hamstring was often wrapped when he was out. The attention was always on when he was in.

Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group:

Paul played 34 minutes but was ineffective offensively and struggled to cover Curry all game.
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If Paul isn’t much closer to 100 percent on Saturday, this whole series could have tilted right there.
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“He’s dealing with a lot of stuff,” Rivers said, “but, listen, he’s on the floor and Golden State doesn’t care, bottom line.
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“He does have injuries, and there is no doubt about that. I’m sure they have some too, but, listen, I think once you’re on the floor, you’re on the floor.”

Ethan Strauss of ESPN.com:

And the Clippers might be vulnerable, now that this matchup has shrunk to one game.
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At times, Chris Paul moved at tricycle speed. He claimed, “Yea, I’m OK. I’m OK,” but in Game 6 he didn’t look like someone who could credibly be called the best point guard of his generation. Perhaps it’s his nagging hamstring injury and perhaps it’s the task of chasing Curry around all series — probably both.
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The Warriors have a window of opportunity, even if Paul was completely healthy. A team with 3-point shooters can take any single game against a bigger, deeper opponent.