Clippers’ Paul George out 3-4 weeks with elbow injury

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The Clippers delivered immoderate decidedly less-than-merry quality Saturday, erstwhile they reported that Paul George has suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament successful his close elbow.

The seven-time All-Star “will remainder and beryllium re-evaluated successful 3 to 4 weeks, astatine which constituent adjacent steps volition beryllium determined,” the squad said successful a statement.

UCL tears are much communal successful shot and often pb to Tommy John surgery, but the Clippers’ archetypal timeline for George’s betterment process is comparatively successful enactment with however overmuch clip different NBA players person missed with akin injuries.

George’s teammate, Nicolas Batum, missed a fewer much weeks erstwhile helium experienced a akin wounded erstwhile helium playing for Charlotte successful 2017-18. He sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament of his near elbow in a preseason crippled Oct. 4, 2017, and made his play debut Nov. 15, 13 games into the regular season.

After George was injured during a triumph astatine Portland connected Dec. 6, helium missed 5 consecutive games with what was referred to arsenic a sprained elbow connected his close limb – his shooting arm. But helium returned to enactment Monday and played that nighttime successful a nonaccomplishment to to San Antonio and past again Wednesday successful a triumph astatine Sacramento.

George wasn’t among the Clippers who addressed the media aft Wednesday’s victory, but aft his instrumentality Monday, erstwhile he logged 30 minutes and scored 25 points, George said helium “felt fine. Felt good tonight,” adding “biggest happening I was I didn’t exert myself. I conscionable played wrong myself and fto it flow.”

Asked whether the elbow wounded mightiness pb to him having to miss further time, George said helium didn’t know.

“I’m not sure. Not sure,” George said. “It took immoderate hits today, mates stingers. We’ll spot however it feels tomorrow, not definite it volition beryllium sore oregon not. See however it feels successful the morning.”

The Clippers’ different perennial All-Star, Kawhi Leonard, remains sidelined arsenic helium works his mode backmost from July country to repair a torn ACL. He’s been spotted shooting and the Clippers posted photos Friday of him moving out, but determination remains nary nationalist timetable for Leonard’s return.

On the grind. pic.twitter.com/xUdhjmCCZy

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 24, 2021

As the Clippers’ superior go-to guy, George began the play connected a teardrop earlier his accumulation leveled disconnected some.

For the 10th clip successful his 11-plus NBA seasons, George was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Nov. 1 done Nov. 7. That week, helium helped pb the squad to a 4-0 grounds portion averaging 26.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.8 steals – and eclipsing 14,500 vocation points.

For the season, George is pb the Clippers with 24.7 points, (a career-high) 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. His 7.1 rebounds per crippled fertile 2nd connected the squad down halfway Ivica Zubac’s 7.9.

The Clippers – who person the third-toughest remaining docket successful the NBA, per tankathon.com – surely volition miss George’s contributions arsenic they participate into an particularly tough, road-heavy agelong of the season: Fourteen of their adjacent 20 games done January volition beryllium distant from Crypto.com Arena.

When the Clippers big Denver astatine Crypto.com Arena connected Sunday, they’re besides expected to beryllium without starters Marcus Morris Sr. and Reggie Jackson (health and safety). They besides were without cardinal contributors Luke Kennard (hip) and Isaiah Hartenstein (ankle) connected Wednesday successful Sacramento.

Before his two-week lack this month, George – who dealt with bursitis successful his shooting forearm passim the 2017-18 play successful Oklahoma City – had missed lone 1 crippled (for rest, connected Dec. 1 against Sacramento) retired of 25 this season.

George missed astir of the 2014-15 play recovering from the compound fracture successful his near limb that helium suffered during a Team USA scrimmage, a horrific wounded that sidelined him for 8 months. He besides underwent country connected some shoulders earlier joining the Clippers successful 2019-20 that delayed his Clippers debut by 11 games.

But aft signing a signed a four-year, $190 cardinal hold earlier past play began, George appeared successful 54 of the Clippers’ 72 regular-season games and logged dense minutes successful the playoffs, erstwhile helium played 511, 64 much than the adjacent closest playoff subordinate erstwhile the Clippers bowed retired June 30, successful Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.

In the Clippers’ last 8 playoff games without Leonard past season, George averaged 29.6 points, 11 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

“When Kawhi went down, (George) had to instrumentality over, and helium did,” Batum said the time aft the play ended. “In a bully way. In a large way. … The numbers don’t lie. He was amazing. He carried us, similar successful the past crippled successful Phoenix aft each those games (when George scored 41 points connected 15-for-20 shooting), helium has been unbelievable.

“I don’t truly attraction what radical accidental astir that guy,” Batum added. “I deliberation helium redeemed himself and helium showed that he’s a big-time subordinate successful this league, and helium deserves each the praise successful the world. I’m precise blessed for him that helium could amusement the satellite who helium is.”

The champion plays from @Yg_Trece truthful acold this season.

Cast your #NBAAllStar ballot for your favourite Clippers up to 10x a day! ➡️ https://t.co/A3opxLvEPQ pic.twitter.com/OO6prPFAvq

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 25, 2021

NUGGETS (15-16) astatine CLIPPERS (17-15)

When: 6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV: Bally Sports SoCal

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