The Los Angeles Clippers suffered a tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the Tuesday night NBA slate, 101-100. Given how tight the standings are in the Western Conference, every game is important. For the Clippers, losing to a team behind them in the standings could end up being quite detrimental.
But, the game wasn’t the biggest loss that the team suffered. With 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, All-Star Paul George suffered an apparent right leg injury when going for a rebound with Lu Dort colliding into him. George’s knee looked to bend backward and he crumbled to the floor in visible pain.
A cart was needed to move George to the arena’s loading dock as he was set to undergo more testing. Right now, there isn’t much to offer. Head coach Tyronn Lou did not see George immediately after the game and is waiting on updates himself.
“[George is] still being evaluated right now,” Lue said. “But I did see [the replay of the injury]. I didn’t even know it looked like that until [an assistant coach] just showed me, so I didn’t even know [what happened].”
Injuries and players being in and out of the lineup have been an issue for the Clippers all season. George has played in 56 out of the team’s 73 games this season as everyone except Terence Mann, Nicolas Batum and Ivica Zubac have missed double-digit games this season.
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One of those players who has missed extensive time is Kawhi Leonard. He has played in only 44 games this season, which is as big of a reason as any that the Clippers have failed to find continuity and consistency on the court.
“I haven’t spoken to him yet,” Leonard said during his postgame news conference. “And I didn’t see the play. I thought he just got hit in the face at the time and stayed down for a while.”
“We’ll see,” Leonard added when asked how the Clippers will adjust if George is out an extended period of time. “We got a group of guys that still want to win, that like to play basketball, so we’ll see what happens.”
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Any injury that keeps George out for an extended period of time would be a huge blow to the Clippers. They came into the season among the favorites to win the championship, but injuries have kept them from playing up to their full potential and could once again derail them.
Already without Norman Powell, the Clippers are missing a lot of their scoring punch if George joins him on the sideline. The team has faced adversity all season long, so this is something they can overcome. But, if he is going to be sidelined for a while, their title aspirations likely go out the window.
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