The Los Angeles Clippers will have to do without their best player for the upcoming season. Star forward Paul George will miss Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to NBA health and safety protocols, the team confirmed.
News comes that the Clippers are in contention for a playoff spot. After losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, the Clippers were eliminated in the second round of the play-in tournament. The team will take on the Pelicans, who defeated the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. The winner of Friday’s contest between the Clippers and Pelicans will be No. 8 in the Western Conference, taking on the top-ranked Phoenix Suns in the first round. The loser will go home in the off-season.
George, 31, averaged 24.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in 31 games this season. George dropped 34 points in the team’s loss to Minnesota on Tuesday.
It’s been a difficult season for the Clippers, who finished just two games above .500 after conquering the No. 4 West spot last season. The loss of Kawhi Leonard – who missed the entire season to recover from a cruciate ligament injury – played a major role in the team’s disappointing record. It didn’t help that George missed several weeks due to an elbow injury. George returned to action in late March, averaging 22.6 points in five games before the start of the play-in tournament.
Paul George will miss Friday’s game against the Pelicans. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)