Chris Paul Was Able To Return To Play After A Shoulder Injury Scare (UPDATE)

The Suns got off to a hot start in Game 1 of their first round series with the Lakers, opening up a seven point lead after the first quarter. Among the catalysts was, unsurprisingly, Chris Paul, who had three points, five assists, and four rebounds in his first 10 minutes of play, doing a bit of everything for a Phoenix team that came out with a ton of energy playing the defending champs.

However, disaster struck in the early second quarter when Paul went down in agony after colliding with teammate Cameron Johnson while going for a rebound in transition. Paul immediately grabbed at his right shoulder and fell to the ground, writhing in pain as the team training staff and players from both teams surrounded him in concern.

Paul would eventually be helped back to the locker room with a towel over his head, as there was obvious concern from all parties about his health. There has been no doubt to the impact Paul has had on the Suns in his first season, helping to lift them to one of the league’s best teams with his steady hand at the point guard spot as well as his ability to close games out with his scoring.

UPDATE: Despite how serious it looked with how Paul went down, later in the second quarter he returned to the bench and joined the team in the huddle, getting a massive ovation from the Phoenix crowd.

As the Suns announced, he would return with a shoulder contusion and was back on the floor after missing less than a quarter of play.