Clippers Are SCREWED Following Serious Injury To Paul George
It's a bad day to be a Los Angeles basketball fan. Whether you're a delusional Lakers fan praying for a play-in spot with 10 regular-season games left or a hopeless Clippers junkie, LA basketball is six feet in the dumps.
No Hope For Clippers (And Lakers)
Coming into this final stretch of NBA basketball, the Clippers were shouldering most of the expectations for both LA squads of making a deep run.
READ: LEBRON JAMES REACTS TO NEW INJURY: ‘F’N SUCKS’
As of Wednesday (Mar. 22), those hopes have been quashed now that Clippers star Paul George is dealing with a serious right knee injury. And by serious, we mean "pray to God that PG-13 receives a new pair of knees in time for the postseason" levels of urgency.
The 32-year-old went down in the final minutes of Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after landing on opposing forward Lou Dort's foot after a rebound.
In 56 games this season for the Clips, Paul George has been averaging 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Clippers' Championship Window Closes
Early reports Wednesday detailed that George will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks. Still, the sprain is severe enough to keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season. And quite likely, the postseason.
You could almost see the championship window close as PG-13 stayed on the ground. The eight-time All-Star needed help walking off the court. At that moment, the Clippers' odds of making a run were done.
LA went on to lose against OKC, 101-100.
The Clippers are fifth in the Western Conference standings (38-35). LA faces a potential exit from the play-in with a handful of games left and many teams on the cusp of the West's postseason playing for their ticket.
Odds are they'll make it in, but to lead a serious run at the Finals with Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook and a mediocre supporting cast is absurd. It's hard to come across three-and-D wing players like Paul George.
Miracle Run Through The West's Postseason
Aside from George, role player Norman Powell has been sidelined due to a shoulder injury — leaving the Clips without enough firepower to contend in a competitive Western Conference.
Should Paul George return on a miracle during the playoffs, it'll still have to come at less than 100 percent health based on the severity of the sprain.
(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
While top teams like the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies close out their seasons on a whimper, the factor of bringing in a reasonably healthy squad when it's time to throw down will make all the difference in the 2022-23 postseason.
Injuries continue to bug both LA teams as the Lakers remain without star LeBron James and continue to hold their breath on Anthony Davis' health to close out the year.
Playing through last season without Kawhi Leonard built up anticipation for this year's Clippers. Now it's a different star getting injured, and the Clippers go back to relying on a slight chance of limping their way to the Finals.
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)