Paul set to be sidelined for six to eight weeks

Phoenix Suns’ All-Star guard Chris Paul will be sidelined for six to eight weeks due to an avulsion fracture in his right thumb, according to ESPN.

The 36-year-old sustained the injury in Wednesday’s 124-121 win over the Houston Rockets yet played two minutes for Team LeBron in Sunday’s All-Star Game.

Paul has been a key part of the ladder-leading Suns who have a 48-10 record, averaging 14.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and an NBA-best 10.7 assists.

The NBA regular season ends on Sunday April 10, meaning Paul may be out until the playoffs commence, with the Suns well placed for a high seeding. »We’ve dealt with a lot already this year, » Suns head coach Monty Williams, who led Team LeBron on Sunday, told reporters after the game. »We’ve lost multiple guys due to injury this year, and we’ve had things outside of basketball invade, so to think you’re going to go through an NBA season and not have adversity, it’s silly.

« You hate it, but you’re prepared for it. This is different, because it’s Chris. But with that in mind, it’s also an opportunity to strengthen our team and give other guys confidence in certain areas, and when he does come back, I think we’ll be that much better. »He added: « We’re just gonna take it day by day, and see how he heals up as we go forward. »