Payne chipped in 31 points (12-16 FG, 7-9 3Pt, 0-3 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one block across 42 minutes during Thursday's 125-100 loss to the Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Payne started each of the Suns' last four playoff games, but this was the first time he scored in double digits. He wasn't able to replace Chris Paul (groin) effectively, and as a result, the Suns ended up losing the series in six games. Payne ends the playoffs with averages of 8.1 points and 2.9 assists per game across seven postseason outings (four starts).
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Struggles again Tuesday
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Payne chipped in seven points (3-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt), two rebounds, four assists and one steal across 31 minutes during Tuesday's 118-102 loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Payne remained in the starting lineup Tuesday, filling in for the injured Chris Paul who has now missed the past three games due to a groin issue. Despite playing significant minutes, Payne has been unable to produce anything of note. Paul is nearing a return, and with the Suns now one loss away from elimination, his availability is going to be a major talking point over the next couple of days.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Modest performance in spot start
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Payne accumulated seven points (3-9 FG, 1-5 3Pt), six assists and one steal across 30 minutes during Friday's 121-114 win over Denver in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Payne moved into the starting lineup, replacing Chris Paul who was ruled out with a groin injury. While he was able to serve as a secondary ball-handler, his production was nothing to write home about. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant combined for 17 assists, and will likely both continue to benefit for as long as Paul remains sidelined.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Gets starting nod
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Payne is in the starting five for Friday's Game 3 versus the Nuggets.
Payne will replace Chris Paul (groin) in the starting lineup Friday. Payne is averaging 14.9 points, 7.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 30.5 minutes across his previous 15 starts this season.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Plays small role in return
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Payne (back) logged three minutes off the bench and finished with two assists and no other statistics Tuesday in the Suns' series-clinching Game 5 win over the Clippers.
Payne 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.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Good to go Tuesday
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Payne (back) has been cleared to play in Game 5 versus the Clippers on Tuesday, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Payne was previously upgraded to probable, and he'll be officially available for the first time in this series. Damion Lee and Landry Shamet have been seeing limited minutes in Payne's absence with the Suns relying heavily on their first unit. Head coach Monty Williams did say that Payne would have restrictions, but he didn't provide any specifics.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Now labeled as probable
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Payne (back) is listed as probable for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Clippers, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Payne was held out of Saturday's clash due to back soreness, but he appears in line to return to action Tuesday night. He's yet to appear in the series but could provide key minutes off the bench behind Chris Paul if he's given the green light.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Out again
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Payne (back) will remain sidelined for Saturday's Game 4 against the Clippers, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Payne has yet to play in the opening round of the playoffs after drawing a questionable tag prior to each contest. The Suns have kept the backcourt rotation pretty tight in the first three games of the series, but Landry Shamet and Damion Lee could see some run behind Chris Paul and Devin Booker with Payne still out.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Questionable for Game 4
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Payne (back) is questionable for Saturday's Game 4 against the Clippers, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Payne drew a questionable tag ahead of each of the first three games in the series before ultimately being ruled out, so the designation doesn't offer much optimism. If the lefty point guard remains sidelined, Landry Shamet and Damion Lee would be candidates for minutes behind Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Remains out
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Payne (back) will not play in Game 3 versus the Clippers on Thursday, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Payne has yet to make an appearance in the series after injuring his back late in the regular season. Throughout his absence, Landry Shamet has stepped into backup point guard duties and should do so again Thursday. Payne's next chance to play will come Saturday.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Questionable for Game 3
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Payne (back) is questionable for Thursday's Game 3 against the Clippers, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Payne has missed the first two contests of the series after tweaking his back during the penultimate game of the regular season. If he remains sidelined Thursday, Landry Shamet would likely continue operating as the primary point guard behind Chris Paul.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Ruled out for Game 2
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Payne (back) will not play in Game 2 against the Clippers on Tuesday, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Payne also missed Game 1 of this series and remains day-to-day. Look for Landry Shamet to get the backup point guard minutes behind Chris Paul on Tuesday evening after seeing 24 minutes in Game 1.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Questionable Tuesday
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Payne (back) is questionable for Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round against the Clippers on Tuesday, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports
Payne missed the opening game of the series and is still uncertain for Tuesday's Game 2 matchup. If the 28-year-old guard is ultimately unable to suit up, Landry Shamet figures to continue to see increased usage behind Chris Paul. Shamet ended Sunday's Game 1 with four points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist across 24 minutes off of the bench.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Ruled out Sunday
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Payne (back) has been ruled out for Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Clippers on Sunday, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Payne was questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup due to his sore back, and he'll be unavailable to begin the postseason. Landry Shamet should see an increased role behind Chris Paul on Sunday.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Termed questionable for Game 1
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Payne (back) is considered questionable for Sunday's Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Payne missed the final game of the regular season while nursing back soreness, and it appears the rest was more than just a day off to close out the regular season. If Payne is unable to go Sunday, Landry Shamet could see additional minutes working behind Chris Paul at point guard.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Sitting out Sunday
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Payne (back) will not play Sunday against the Clippers, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
Payne tweaked his back during Friday's game against the Lakers and will sit out the regular-season finale. Landry Shamet and Saben Lee should see extra time Sunday.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Tweaks back against Lakers
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Payne tweaked his lower back in Friday's game against the Lakers and wasn't able to return, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Payne finished the night with 13 points (5-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four assists and one rebound in 15 minutes. With Payne leaving the game and most of Phoenix's key players sitting out, Saben Lee handled most of the playmaking duties for the Suns over the rest of the night.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Starting Friday
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Payne will start at point guard in Friday's game against the Lakers.
With the Suns opting to rest the majority of their starters, Payne will get the spot start at point guard. He has averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists across 31.5 minutes in 14 starts this season.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Scores 11 points off bench
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Payne finished Wednesday's 107-100 win over the Timberwolves with 11 points (5-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt), one rebound, two assists and one steal in 13 minutes.
Payne scored in double figures off the bench for a third straight game and is shooting 53.6 percent from the field during that stretch. Despite the hot streak, Payne's March has been disappointing, as he's averaging just 8.4 points, 4.0 assists and 2.2 rebounds with 44/34/88 shooting splits over his last 14 appearances.
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Suns' Cameron Payne: Thrives off bench Thursday
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Payne finished with 18 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, five assists and one steal in 21 minutes during Thursday's 116-113 win over the Magic.
Payne didn't outplay Chris Paul, but he gave the Suns a huge spark off the bench. He's now scored in double figures in back-to-back games as a reserve for just the second time this season, but it would be a stretch to expect him to deliver these numbers regularly in the upcoming weeks. Payne is averaging 8.6 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds across 15.2 minutes per game since the All-Star break (10 appearances).
