Chris Paul to miss Suns’ matchup vs. Heat, 3rd straight game due to heel
Nov 14, 2022, 4:02 PM
Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after a three point make by a teammate in the first quarter of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on November 9, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul is out for the team’s matchup in Miami on Monday against the Heat due to right heel soreness, per AZCentral’s Duane Rankin.
It is the third straight contest in which Paul was listed as questionable on the injury report before getting ruled out the day of the game after injuring his right foot in the Nov. 7 defeat against the Philadelphia 76ers,
In addition, Phoenix will be without Landry Shamet, who is now in the concussion protocols after missing Friday’s loss to the Orlando Magic because of concussion-like symptoms.
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The Suns minus Paul and Shamet for the first game of the season left them with only starting guards Devin Booker and Cam Payne as reliable ball-handlers to run the offense. In the first half, head coach Monty Williams went big with his rotation and inserted Dario Saric at power forward and also played wing Josh Okogie.
Booker was in for the entire first quarter and then Payne did the same in the second half, so we never saw what Phoenix looked like without either of them on the floor until the second half got out of hand. Williams turned to two-way guard Duane Washington Jr. for seven minutes, the only other quasi-floor general on the roster outside of Paul, Booker, Payne and Shamet.
Phoenix will be getting back forward Ish Wainright. He was active for the Suns’ first two games of the season before low back pain sat him out the next four. After that, Wainright wasn’t with the team for six games due to the passing of his father.
Miami will not have last year’s Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro (ankle). Herro is now a starter for the Heat and is averaging 19.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Phoenix wraps up a four-game road trip on Monday before going back for one home contest against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday and then has a fixture in Utah on Friday versus the Jazz.
Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. and you can hear it on ESPN 620 AM and 98.7 FM HD-2.
