LOS ANGELES — Imagine saying as recently as two years ago – when Cameron Payne was sniffing around for a two-way contract with the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers – that he might be a lynchpin for a Western Conference finals team.
The story of Payne’s ascendance as a scrappy sixth man for the Phoenix Suns is one of the most improbable origin stories on a team making an improbable title run: an oft-injured 2015 draft pick whose career had all but flatlined before the Suns picked him up for an 8-0 run in the Florida bubble last summer. This postseason, Payne has truly raised his game.
Only now, the Suns might have to imagine playing without him.
Payne exited the first half of Game 3 on Thursday night after just four minutes, going 1 for 4 from the field with two points and an assist. A left ankle injury sent him back to the locker room in the first half; by halftime, the Suns said he would not return.
As the team’s nine-game playoff winning streak ended, Coach Monty Williams said postgame that he didn’t have much additional information on the injury.
“He tried to come back,” Williams said. “(The ankle) just wouldn’t allow him to go back out on the floor.”
For Phoenix, any moment to lose their top backup point guard would be inopportune, but especially just as it seemed the team was finally ready to get healthy. The Suns weathered a two-game absence from All-Star Chris Paul (COVID-19 protocols) to take a 2-0 lead, thanks much in part to Payne’s starts in Paul’s place.
Even casual viewers of the NBA playoffs had seen signs of Payne’s impact: He’s become the team’s fourth-leading scorer this postseason (11.8 ppg), and the top playmaker outside of stars Paul and Devin Booker. While he’s a respectable 3-point shooter, he’s even better as a quick-stepping driver to the basket, tying the Lakers’ and Nuggets’ defenses in knots with his speed during the first two rounds.
The cruel part for Payne is that his injury comes on the heels of a coup-de-grace: In Game 2 of the conference finals, he scored 29 points with nine assists to help the Suns earn a last-second victory in Phoenix. It was a career postseason best in both points and assists for Payne, who had never scored 20 or more in a playoff game.
“He’s made a lot happen for us while he’s been out there,” Booker said. “I hope he’s in good health.”
One of the biggest downsides for the Suns was that Payne’s absence meant that Paul, who is getting his game wind back, had to play for longer stretches during the second half. Paul (15 points on 5-for-19 shooting with 12 assists) ended up playing nearly 39 minutes in his return to the floor as the Suns flirted with a second-half comeback that was ultimately snuffed by Reggie Jackson.
Williams downplayed the long-term concerns, saying Payne might be able to return for future tilts.
“It’s one game,” said Williams, who has a way of framing challenges in Zen fashion. “We hope Cam can get back.”
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June 25, 2021 at 10:45AM
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Suns lose sparkplug Cam Payne to injury in loss to Clippers - OCRegister
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