Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul played just 23 minutes in Friday’s victory over the Houston Rockets because of the lingering effects of a hamstring injury, but he is expected to get more playing time in Sunday’s Game 4.
Coach Don Rivers said Saturday that Paul’s hamstring is showing improvement. He said Paul will start Sunday’s game and probably will play more minutes than he did on Friday, when he scored 12 points.
The Clippers will continue to monitor Paul closely because Rivers says he does not think hamstring injuries heal completely until the offseason.
Paul injured his hamstring during the Clippers’ Game 7 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He missed the first two games of the series against Houston, but the Clippers hold a 2-1 lead in that series.
Paul has averaged 21.4 points and 7.8 assists in his eight playoff games this season.