Rockets star Chris Paul to miss Game 6 of West finals with hamstring strain

Shams Charania

Rockets star Chris Paul will miss Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors because of a strained right hamstring.

Paul, who suffered the injury late in a Game 5 victory over the Warriors on Thursday night, will be re-evaluated by the Rockets when the team returns to Houston. The Rockets are scheduled to practice and fly to the Bay Area on Friday for Saturday’s Game 6.

In Paul’s absence, the Rockets are expected to start Eric Gordon and potentially extend the roles of Gerald Green and Luc Mbah a Moute. Houston signed point guard Aaron Jackson on the final day of the regular season to serve as an insurance reserve.

Behind Paul’s spectacular Game 5 performance, the Rockets have taken a 3-2 series lead over the defending champion Warriors. Paul had 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four 3-pointers in Game 5, hitting several clutch shots, shimmying on Stephen Curry after a deep 3-pointer and supplying the Rockets with leadership and energy. His injury is significant for the reminder of the series.

The Rockets would play a potential Game 7 on Monday night on their home floor. Paul, a nine-time All-Star, joined the Rockets last summer and has teamed with All-Star and MVP favorite James Harden to lead Houston to the brink of the NBA Finals.

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