LOS ANGELES — Dressed in a gray Clippers hoodie and pants, Paul George joined his teammates on the bench for Saturday’s afternoon game against the Portland Trail Blazers. While the Clippers All-Star wing didn’t play, he appeared enthusiastic about his team’s ability to hold off the Blazers and inch closer to a playoff spot.
George has not played since March 21 after suffering a sprained right knee against the Oklahoma City Thunder but exercised before Saturday’s game. In the first update since his injury, the team said George continues to rehab but “there is no timeline for his return to play.”
The hope is that George would have enough time to ramp up by the second round of the playoffs, should the Clippers advance that far. The Clippers, who defeated Portland 136-125 on Saturday afternoon, enter their remaining regular-season game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday in sixth place.
Kawhi Leonard said entering the postseason without George will be tough.
“It’s a challenge for all of us,” Leonard said. “What we’ve been doing is just going out there, being focused and, you know, trying to limit our mistakes as much as possible.
“I mean that’s all we can do, run our offense, you know, make sure we get back in transition on the defensive and rebound, and come back on the other end.”
Clippers guard Norman Powell said he needs to be among the players who have to step up in George’s absence by being vocal, especially on the defensive end or whatever it takes to win.
“(I need to make) sure I’m talking, making sure guys know the coverages, what we’re trying to execute and get done,” Powell said. “There’s nothing that I have to be outside myself or be somebody that I’m not. Just continue to be who I am, staying confident, playing within the game. I think when I do that, I’m at my best.”
“It’s all about winning and I want to win. I’m locked in. I want to win. I think we have the pieces to make a good playoff run. You get to the finals, whatever that takes, whatever that looks like, whatever the team needs from me, that’s what I’m going to do.”
INJURIES TO BLAME
For weeks, the top six or seven teams Western Conference have flipped spots as the season winds down. Coach Tyronn Lue said there is a reason why just a few games have separated teams at the bottom half.
“All the injuries throughout the course of the season and a lot of guys being out,” he said. “Zion (Williamson) being out. Anthony Davis being out. Steph (Curry) being out, Kawhi, PG being out. Kevin Durant being out, (Devin) Booker being out.
“Just a lot of great players being out. And when you miss 25, 30 games from your best one or two players, it’s just tough. And so that’s why everybody’s so bunched up right now. It is what it is.”
NOTES
Nicolas Batum topped the 5,000-point mark in his career with nine points against Portland on Saturday. He is one of 11 active NBA players who have 10,000-plus points, 5,000-plus rebounds and 3,000-plus assists. …
Mason Plumlee set a single-season career high in points with his 843rd point on Saturday. He scored 11 in the victory.
