Chris Paul out for Suns, Lakers without LeBron James on Tuesday
Nov 22, 2022, 9:31 AM | Updated: 10:25 am
Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns defends against a pass to LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of Game Four of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Staples Center on May 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Point guard Chris Paul will miss his seventh straight game due to a heel issue on Tuesday when his Phoenix Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Suns will also be without backup guard Landry Shamet, who remains in concussion protocol and hasn’t played since Nov. 9.
For the Lakers, LeBron James was downgraded from questionable to out Tuesday morning with a left adductor strain that’s kept him from playing in the past four outings.
Reserve forward Juan Toscano-Anderson is questionable with back soreness, and All-Star Anthony Davis is probable with back tightness.
RELATED STORIES
Davis has been fighting through the back issue since the preseason, but it’s not held him back in terms of production of late.
The Lakers (5-10) have won three straight heading into the 8 p.m. game Tuesday that will air on TNT and Arizona Sports 98.7, the Arizona Sports app and ArizonaSports.com.
Davis has averaged 35 points and 17.3 rebounds over that winning streak.
Along with James, Los Angeles will also be without rookie second-round pick Max Christie, who is in COVID-19 protocols and had earned rotation time for a four-game stretch earlier in November.
Meanwhile, Phoenix (10-6) has not strung together two consecutive wins since Nov. 1 and has gone 3-4 since Paul was lost early in a Nov. 7 game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Backup point guard Cam Payne has stepped into the started lineup and led the team in scoring in three of those seven games without Paul. Devin Booker has led in scoring for the four other games.
The Suns are coming off a 116-95 win against the New York Knicks on Sunday.
