Chris Paul’s hamstring will cause him to miss Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni announced before the game Monday afternoon.
This is the second game in a row Houston will be without Paul, who strained his right hamstring during the final moments of Game 5 in Houston. It is likely that Eric Gordon will take Paul’s place in the starting lineup, as he did during Game 6.
The Rockets couldn’t overcome the absence of Paul in Game 6, running out of gas in the second half after leading by as many as 17. Paul was a huge part of Houston’s wins in Games 4 and 5, averaging 23.5 points in those contests, and 21.1 points and 5.8 assists in the series as a whole.
Paul has been instrumental to Houston’s ascension in becoming the No. 1 team in the Western Conference this year. The Rockets are 15-10 without Paul this year, which included a three-game losing streak midway through the season. With him, they are 62-12.
