Paul George has been ruled out of the remainder of the regular season but could return in time for the NBA Playoffs if the Los Angeles Clippers embark on a postseason run without one of their star men.
With blockbuster signings Kawhi Leonard and George joining the team in 2019, the Clippers have been riddled with injuries and ultimately struggled to get any momentum. It seemed like the franchise were finally set to enter the Play-Offs with a hungry and talented roster, but George went down against the Oklahoma City Thunder - his former team.
With just under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 101-100 loss to the Thunder, George went up for a defensive rebound and came down awkwardly, appearing to hyperextend his right leg in an alarming way. The 32-year-old limped off with the assistance of Clippers staff members.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported George will miss the next two to three weeks with a sprained knee. The star forward is set to be reassessed after three weeks, but there is no major ligament damage while surgery is not necessary. Considering how gruesome it first appeared, it's definitely good news for the Clippers and their NBA championship hopes.
After the injury update, Clippers head coach Ty Lue suggested it was the ‘best case scenario’ for his team ahead of the postseason. George will miss the rest of the regular season as well as the first round of the playoffs, so the Clippers would have to reach the second round if fans want to see George on the court again in 2022/23.
“He’s a little disappointed as expected,” head coach Tyronn Lue said of George on Thursday. “But I think we got the best case scenario as far as what we thought it could be. And so, being re-evaluated in two, three weeks is something that we are looking forward to.
“His spirits are down, but that’s to be expected when it’s late in the season and when you want to help your team. We’re gonna support him 100 percent.”
The Clippers finish the regular season on April 9, which will be followed up by four days of play-in tournament games. George finished the regular season averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 37.1 percent from three. He was was selected to the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.
For now, the 39-35 Clippers will have to survive without one of the stars as they hoped to avoid the NBA Play-In tournament. Los Angeles are fifth in the competitive - and wide open - Western Conference, while they face the 36-37 New Orleans Pelicans in their next contest on Saturday night.
