Suns Downgrade Chris Paul' Status for Jazz Matchup

The Phoenix Suns had All-Star point guard Chris Paul (heel) and shooting guard Josh Okogie (hamstring) originally listed as questionable for Friday night’s game versus the Utah Jazz. Paul has since been downgraded to out.

Chris Paul (heel) listed out Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) November 18, 2022

Shooting guard Landry Shamet (concussion protocol) also remains out. This is Paul’s fifth consecutive missed game, with the Suns going 2-2 in the future Hall-of-Famer's absence.

The Jazz announced that forward Rudy Gay will miss two more weeks due to a finger sprain. Also, Ochai Agbaji and Leandro Bolmaro have been reassigned to the Stars.

This creates a path for Simone Fontecchio to be a permanent fixture in Utah’s rotation. The rookie out of Italy replaced Gay on Wednesday and impressed, scoring nine points on a trio of three-pointers in just 17 minutes.

Utah will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak in the first game of a back-to-back against Phoenix, followed by a game in Portland versus the Trail Blazers on Saturday night. The schedule has not been kind to the Jazz in the early going, with this being their fifth back-to-back in 18 games.

That being said, the Jazz should be well-rested tonight with two days of off and consecutive games at home. The Jazz are fourth in a crowded Western conference where only one game separates the No. 4 and No. 10 seeds.

With a victory, the Jazz will be the first team in the conference to get to 11 wins.

Tip-off is at 7:00 pm MDT.

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