Suns All-Star point guard Chris Paul will be back in the mix for Phoenix when they take on the Denver Nuggets tonight (9 ET, NBA TV). Paul was listed as probable and has been healing up from a hand injury that he suffered in a win vs. Houston on Feb. 16 — the Suns’ last game before the All-Star break.
Phoenix has the NBA’s best record at 59-14 and has already clinched the Pacific Division title this season. It went 11-4 during Paul’s absence and has won its last six games and eight of its last 10 overall. The Suns can wrap up the NBA’s best overall record and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a win or a Memphis loss.
Paul was hurt when he got his hand jammed on a pass and argued for the first technical. He then bumped into referee J.T. Orr a few seconds later to earn a second technical and an ejection, leaving the court holding his right hand.
At the time of the injury, he hoped to play for Team LeBron in the All-Star Game, but that did not happen.
“For me, I always want to play. I haven’t missed a game this season, you know what I mean,” Paul said in late February. “So when I did feel that in my hand I was mad for all types of reasons, but obviously we won’t do anything dumb or stupid.
“So I’m going to try to heal as fast as physically possible and the second that I am able to play, I guarantee you I will be playing.”
This season, Paul is averaging 14.9 points and an NBA-leading 10.7 assists while shooting 48.7% overall and 33% on 3-pointers.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
