Houston Rockets: 3 players that have to step up with Chris Paul out

The Houston Rockets are headed back to Oakland to play the Golden State Warriors in an elimination game without Chris Paul. Here are the 3 players that have to step up in his absence.

On Friday, the Rockets announced that our fears had come true. Chris Paul, who suffered a hamstring injury during the final moments of Game 5, will not play on Saturday night against the Warriors, according to Yahoo Sports Shams Charania.

Obviously, this injury is a big blow for the Rockets. Chris Paul is the vocal leader of this team. He gives Houston the luxury of having a Hall of Fame point guard on the floor for 48 minutes each night. Paul has stepped up time after time in these playoffs, especially when Harden is having an off night, like in Game 5.

Now, the Rockets will attempt to steal Game 6 in a hostile environment. With Golden State’s back against the wall, they will play with a lot of desperation and their crowd will be louder than ever.

As the saying goes in basketball circles, closeout games are always the hardest. It’ll be even more difficult without Chris Paul, but the Rockets still have a chance on Saturday night.

It goes without saying that the whole team will have to step up in Paul’s absence. Although, there are three players in particular that have to play well for the Rockets to win Game 6 and advance to the NBA Finals. Lets get started.

Next: No. 3