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Sports medicine expert on Chris Paul's hamstring injury

Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul limped off the court during Game 5. Doctors said he suffered a hamstring sprain.
Credit: Troy Taormina
Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul (3) brings the ball up court during the first quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

HOUSTON - Bad news for Houston Rockets fans.

Star point guard Chris Paul will not play Saturday night due to a hamstring injury. He limped off the court in the final minute of the Rockets' Game 5 win over the Golden State Warriors.

It comes as the team heads into a crucial game in Oakland.

According to ESPN, this is the fourth time Paul has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Rockets fans hope to clinch a trip to the NBA Finals on Saturday and give Paul enough time.

Dr. Theodore Shybut, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said, “Even as a fan it’s never good to see one of your star players do anything other than sort of light up the scoreboard.”

Dr. Shybut, like thousands of fans watching game, held his breath as Chris Paul clutched the back of his thigh during the final moments of Game 5 against the Warriors.

As a specialist, Dr. Shybut watched to see how Paul responded to his sudden injury.

“Typically if somebody limps or they can’t walk or you see a limb giving way, or some alteration in their gain or movement patterns that’s a bit more concerning,” Dr. Shybut said.

Dr. Shybut isn’t treating Paul but said a hamstring strain is a broad term used by doctors.

“That can be everything from a grade one strain in sort of the muscle or the muscle-tendon junction," he said.

Dr. Shybut said that can take anywhere from days to weeks to recover.

“If it’s a more severe injury where there’s really sort of a more substantial disruption; so a strain can actually be a tear or rupture and that can be a partial tear or even a complete tear,” Dr. Shybut said.

More serious injuries could require surgery and take weeks or months to heal.

Dr. Shybut predicts Rockets staff are treating the injury using different techniques like stretching, compression and even injections.

“He’s not just sort of sitting on a couch on bed rest waiting for things to heal,” he said. “There’s a lot of active recovery going on and a lot of efforts probably being directed towards trying to get him well.”

The Rockets and fans will be watching closely to see how he reacts.

“With something like this the biggest risk is really reaggravation. In other words if he’s not quite ready yet or goes out and tweaks it again then he’ll be painful and limping but it’s not something you’d worry about so much about long term," Dr. Shybut said.

Paul is expected to travel with the team to Oakland for Game 6.

The team said he will be reevaluated when they return back to Houston for a possible Game 7.

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