SHORT HANDED
What is next for the Rockets with Chris Paul out?
SportsMap Staff
May 25, 2018, 3:12 pm
Chris Paul's twisting and turning has him off the court for Game 6. Bob Levey/Getty Images
The Rockets made it official on Friday: Chris Paul will not play in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Oakland on Saturday night. Paul was injured late in the crucial Game 5 victory that put the Rockets up 3-2 in the series.
It remains to be seen if Paul will be available for a potential Game 7 on Monday, or even the NBA Finals should the Rockets get that far. Rest assured, they would not be up 3-2 without his efforts in Games 4 and 5. He was terrific in the second half of Thursday's game, and basically willed the Rockets to victory.
Paul has a long injury history and played 38 minutes in Game 5 before the injury, which was so bad he could not get to the other end of the court to play defense.
Eric Gordon likely slides into Paul's role, and it probably means more minutes for Gerald Green. It also likely means time on the floor for Luc Mbah a Moute or Ryan Anderson, forgotten men in this series.
And while Paul's loss is a devastating blow, the Rockets might still be able to pull things out if James Harden can shake a ridiculous slump that has seen him miss 20 consecutive 3-pointers. If he can show up, have a big game and get some help from Gordon and the rest of the supporting cast, the Rockets might be able to get it done.
If so, it will be without Paul, at least for Game 6 and probably beyond.
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Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer and Mickey Moniak drove in three runs as the Colorado Rockies snapped a four-game skid with a 6-1 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Tanner Gordon (5-5) allowed six hits and run in six innings to earn his third straight win.
The Rockies took the lead in the third on a costly error. The Astros were up by 1 when Kyle Karros singled with one out in the inning. Ryan Ritter then reached and Karros moved to third on an error by Jeremy Peña that kept Houston from turning a double play.
The Rockies took advantage of the miscue when Ritter scored on a groundout by Tyler Freeman to tie it 1-all. Moniak followed with an RBI single to put the Rockies on top.
Goodman then hit his 26th home run to left-center to make it 4-1.
Colorado had runners on second and third with one out in the fifth when Moniak’s double off the wall in left-center extended the lead to 6-1.
Houston starter Hunter Brown (10-6) allowed six hits and six runs, two earned, in 6 2/3 innings.
Slugger Yordan Alvarez went 0 for 2 with two walks in his return after sitting out since May 3 with a fractured right hand. His return didn’t give the offense an immediate boost, with the Astros going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
Jesús Sánchez gave Houston a 1-0 lead with his home run to the seats behind the bullpen with no outs in the second. The Astros loaded the bases with two outs in that inning, but Jose Altuve lined out to end the threat.
Key moment
Peña’s error in the third that kept the Astros from turning a double play that would have ended the inning.
Key stat
Tuesday marked Colorado’s first win in Houston since Aug. 14, 2018, snapping an 11-game skid.
Up next
Houston LHP Framber Valdez (11-7, 3.32 ERA) opposes RHP Chase Dollander (2-1, 6.91) on Wednesday.