Chris Paul was once again away from Phoenix Suns Arena in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals due to health and safety protocols, but Cam Payne stepped up early and was red hot shooting for the Suns.
Payne through one half of play against the Los Angeles Clippers led all scorers with 16 points and added three assists and one rebound.
The 26-year-old has been a big part of the team’s torrid streak through the NBA playoffs, coming into the game averaging 10.3 points and putting in meaningful minutes while Paul has been sidelined.
Paul missed his second straight game after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday despite taking the Pfizer vaccine in February, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
The Point God has not played since a Game 4 victory in the conference semifinals on June 13 that completed a sweep of the Denver Nuggets.
Without Paul in Game 1, the Suns beat the Clippers 120-114 as Payne contributed 11 points with nine assists and three rebounds in 29 minutes played.
The Suns led the Clippers 48-47 at halftime of Game 2.
Catch all the action on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
Leave a Reply