Chris Paul officially listed as questionable for Game 2
Doubtful. 50-50. Questionable.
The specific designation doesn't matter so much as the fact that the Los Angeles Clippers still don't know if Chris Paul will play in Game 2 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
While head coach Doc Rivers has called his point guard a 50-50 proposition to play and others have called him doubtful, the team's official injury report has the birthday boy down as questionable. With a 1-0 series lead that surprisingly came without Paul in Game 1, the Clippers seem to have little incentive to ask Paul to play through a left hamstring sprain he suffered in Game 7 of the first round.
"It's one of those things that you don't want to make it worse than it already is," Paul said Wednesday.
Doc Rivers on Chris Paul playing: "I pretty much doubt it."
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) May 6, 2015
Austin Rivers drew the Game 1 start in Paul's stead, but it was Blake Griffin stepping up in a playmaking role, dishing 13 assists for his third triple-double of the playoffs.
It appears the Clippers can survive defensively without Paul since the Rockets don't have a dangerous point guard of their own, but L.A.'s lack of depth is troubling. Paul's also the team's best two-way player and most natural shot creator, having averaged 19.1 points and a league-high 10.2 assists in the regular season and 22.7 points and 7.9 assists in the first round of the playoffs.
Should Paul sit Wednesday, Rivers stands to start once again and the Rockets have a good chance to even the series before it heads back to Staples Center on Friday.