Rockets fans will have to wait to get their first look at Chris Paul at Toyota Center, as Houston’s newly-acquired point guard has been ruled out of Saturday’s home opener against the Mavericks, the Houston Chronicle reports.
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But while the Rockets say they do not consider Paul's knee injury to be serious and that he'll be day-to-day after Saturday, the New York Times is reporting Paul could miss up to a month of action.
There are fears that Chris Paul's knee problem could sideline him for a month in Houston, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 20, 2017
The Rockets have made it clear that they plan to be cautious with Chris Paul given the lofty goals they have in mind for a long playoff run
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 20, 2017
Paul has been dealing with soreness in his left knee since colliding with the Grizzlies’ Mario Chalmers in a preseason game Oct. 11. While he played through the injury in Tuesday’s season-opening 122-121 win at Golden State, he scored just four points on 2 for 9 shooting, although he also had 11 assists and nine rebounds.
He did not play in Houston’s second game of the season, a 105-100 win at Sacramento on Wednesday.
After the Mavericks, the Rockets get the Grizzlies at home Monday, before pushing off for a three-game road trip.
"It's only a bump," D'Antoni said. "It's not a tear or something like that. It's a bruise. We just have to make sure he's 100 percent the next time he plays. I don't think there's (concern.) All indications are he should be OK."