ImpactPayne checked into the contest with 4:31 left in the second quarter to give Chris Paul a breather, but after exiting with 1:15 remaining in the period, he didn't see the floor for the entirety of the second half. The Suns may have just been proceeding cautiously with Payne, who missed the April 9 regular-season finale as well as the first four games of the first-round playoff series with a sore back. Phoenix won't begin its Western Conference Semifinals series with the Nuggets until Sunday, so Payne will have plenty of time to ramp up in practice and may be able to claim a larger role during the upcoming round of the postseason.
APRIL 27, 2023•ROTOWIRE
