Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul left their 124-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings early on Tuesday night with a lower leg injury.
Paul was seen stretching toward the end of the first quarter near the scorer’s table at the Golden 1 Center, and then he went back into the locker room at the quarter break. That’s when the team first announced he was dealing with lower left leg soreness and his return was to be determined.
The Warriors then ruled him out for good just minutes into the second half. He finished with three points in five minutes. Paul was listed as out for the Warriors’ game on Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers with a nerve injury. Specifics about that injury, or how long Paul will be sidelined, are still unknown.
Paul entered Tuesday night averaging 9.3 points and 7.7 assists per game this season, his first with the Warriors. The 38-year-old is in his 19th season in the league.
Though Paul wasn’t around in the second quarter, the Warriors still rolled to a dominant 72-55 halftime lead. The Kings slowly rallied in the second half and held the Warriors to just 19 points in the fourth quarter to grab the one-point win. De’Aaron Fox led the way with 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Huerter added 21 points, and Malik Monk finished with 21 points off the bench, including the game-winning shot.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Andrew Wiggins also finished with 29 points and nine rebounds, and Klay Thompson added 20 points and 11 rebounds. It marked the fifth time in their career that all three players have scored at least 20 points in the same game.
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Tuesday’s game was part of the NBA’s in-season tournament. The Kings entered the game with a 3-0 record and sat in first in the West Group C standings. The Warriors were 2-1 in pool play, and were the only other team in the group not yet eliminated from the knockout stage. They needed to win by 12 or more points to advance to the quarterfinals.
With the win, the Kings will now take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the knockout stage.
