Clippers’ Paul George Unlikely to Play in First-Round Series vs. Suns

The eight-time All-Star has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury on March 21.

The Clippers received a discouraging update on star Paul George’s status on Sunday ahead of their first-round series against the Suns in Phoenix.

George is reportedly “likely” to miss the entirety of the series as he continues to recover from a sprained right knee he sustained last month, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It’s unclear at this time if the 32-year-old will be able to return should L.A. advance to the second round.

Sunday’s news comes nearly a week after The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported George was expected to be sidelined for at least the start of the playoffs after making “tangible progress” in his recovery. The eight-time All-Star has been sidelined since suffering the injury late in a 101–100 home loss to the Thunder on March 21.

With George’s absence set to continue, the 13-year veteran appears poised to end his fourth season with the Clippers on a bitter note. The setback will also prevent George from having a chance to make a statement after he made headlines this week with his comments concerning the pitfalls the Clippers have dealt with in the postseason due to the NBA’s scheduling.

While it remains to be seen if George will be able to re-join his team, the Clippers, led by Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook, will have to battle it out against Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Suns without the dynamic scorer. On the season, George has averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in 56 starts.