Atlanta Hawks

Millsap to play Game 2 without protective pad

Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (left) has played with protective pad since injuring his shoulder near end of regular season.
Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (left) has played with protective pad since injuring his shoulder near end of regular season.
By Chris Vivlamore
April 22, 2015

Paul Millsap will play Game 2 without the protective pad that he said has hampered his shooting range of motion since a return from a shoulder injury.

Millsap was 2 of 11 from the field for six points in the Hawks’ Game 1 victory over the Nets in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Sunday. His is a combined 4 of 20 in the two contests since he missed five games with a right shoulder strain and contusion suffered in a regular-season game against the Nets April 4.

“Not shooting the ball well,” Millsap said Wednesday morning in advance of Game 2 on the determinant to go without the pad. “I just want to see how it goes without the pad. If I have to go back to it, I’ll go back to it. If not, I’m good.”

The All-Star forward would not say when there was still soreness in his shoulder. He wore kinesiology tape at practice Tuesday and will do so again in the game.

“The tape stabilizes it a little bit – just so I don’t overextend it,” Millsap said. “Felt good. I felt like I had a pretty good range on my shot.”

About the Author

Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.

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