The Phoenix Suns have their backs up against the wall heading into Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets. Not only are they facing elimination, down 3-2 in the NBA playoff series, they are now battling a myriad of injuries.
Point guard Chris Paul was injured in the third quarter of Game 2 and we haven’t seen him on the court since. Now, he will be joined by starting center Deandre Ayton, who is dealing with a contusion to his ribs.
The contusion is bad enough that he, too, has been ruled out for Game 6 on Thursday night. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium shared the news on his Twitter account.
While a bruised rib doesn’t sound like much, according to a source that spoke to ESPN, it is an injury that is requiring a lot of attention and causing an immense amount of pain.
“A source described Ayton as “experiencing significant pain in his ribs and core area,” adding that his breathing is being impacted. The injury generally takes multiple weeks to recover from, the source said.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns & Denver Nuggets Updates
Ayton isn’t having as much of an impact on the court as in years past, averaging 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. His shooting percentages have also dropped as the 55 percent he is shooting from the field is a career-low for a postseason, as is the 52.2 percent he is shooting from the foul line.
Despite not playing as well as he has in years past, this is a big loss for the Suns. Ayton was playing 31.9 minutes per game, which is now another thing that head coach Monty Williams will have to navigate.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns & Denver Nuggets Updates
Jock Landale has played in six games thus far this postseason and could be inserted into the starting lineup. Bismack Biyombo will likely see a larger role as well. He is known for his impact defensively and could be started in hopes that he has more success slowing down Nikola Jokic, who has been dominant in this series.
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