Houston Rockets' coach Mike D'Antoni admitted that Chris Paul's recovery from a right hamstring strain is going well. That alone doesn't elevate Paul's status for Game 7. The point guard remains a game-time decision going into the 7th and final game of their series with the Golden State Warriors. Chris Paul suffered the injury during the final minutes of Houston's Game 5 Victory, when he felt a twinge upon landing awkwardly from a contested shot.
D'Antoni is said to be relying heavily on his medical staff, who are monitoring Paul's progress around the clock. "If I get the nod from the trainers, Chris and the doctors, then he'll be ready to go," D'Antoni said in a conference call with ESPN. Rather than be coy about his injury or list him as "questionable," the Rockets' staff have decided to take a more optimistic approach.
The Rockets went 15-9 without Paul at the helm during the regular season, but were taken down to size in Game 6 after building a 17-point lead in the early going. Paul, who is playing in his first Conference Final of his career after years of underachievement with a loaded Clippers roster, is averaging 21.1 points and 5.8 assists during the postseason. D'Antoni concluded his conference call by saying that they would not revert to "gamesmanship." As soon as he ready, if at all, they will make an official announcement.