Chris Paul will miss Game 2 of Clippers-Rockets series

Reporting from Houston — Chris Paul will not play for the Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals despite experiencing some improvement in the strained left hamstring that also sidelined him in the series opener.

“He’s moving better today than he was, so that’s a good sign,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday evening, “but not good enough to play in a basketball game.”

Rivers said the Clippers having won the first game in the series did not factor into his decision and that Paul would have played if he was capable of playing. Rivers said Paul did some running in a pool and was shooting free throws.

The coach said he was optimistic Paul would play at some point in the series.

“I don’t know if I’m discouraged or encouraged about Game 3,” Rivers said of the game that will be played Friday night at Staples Center, “but he’s just going to have to take it day by day.”

Paul sustained the injury in the first half of the Clippers’ Game 7 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.