Clippers forward Paul George has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss Friday’s win-or-go-home play-in game against the Pelicans, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim Bontemps (Twitter link).
George has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said that George started not to feel well on Thursday and registered a positive test on Friday morning (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).
It’s a brutal blow for the Clippers, who appeared to be getting healthier at just the right time entering the postseason. George recently returned from an elbow injury that caused him to miss three months, while Norman Powell came back last week after being sidelined for nearly two months due to a broken bone in his foot.
The Clippers will still have Powell available for Friday’s play-in game, but star forwards George and Kawhi Leonard, who continues to make his way back from ACL surgery, will both be on the shelf, opening the door wider for the Pelicans to clinch the No. 8 seed.
Of course, head coach Tyronn Lue kept the Clippers competitive and in the playoff picture with both of his All-Star forwards unavailable for much of the season, so it’s certainly not a given that George’s absence will result in a home loss on Friday.
If L.A. pulls out a victory tonight, George should be able to return by Game 3 of a first-round series vs. the Suns. If not, Tuesday’s loss in Minnesota will end up being his final game of the 2021/22 season.
George’s positive COVID-19 test could also be bad news for the Trail Blazers. Portland will receive the Pelicans’ top-four protected 2022 first-round pick if it falls between No. 5 and No. 14, but that pick would land at No. 15 and would be sent to the Hornets if New Orleans wins tonight. In that scenario, the Blazers would instead receive Milwaukee’s 2025 first-round pick (top-four protected).
As much as this news kills the vibe for this game, neither pelicans or clippers have a chance at beating the Suns, so it’s doesn’t really matter
lol clippers def have a chance. Suns havent proved anything in the playoffs. they beat injured teams and CP3 is injury prone
The Suns won the west last year. I think they proved an awful lot in the playoffs. The whole “they beat injured teams.” Is baseless as the playoffs are as much about durability and attrition as anything else every year
how the hell is it baseless lmao they beat Lakers without AD and Clippers without Kawhi and still almost lost. then got their ass kicked by the bucks. cope
SMH Suns are a great team. Best team in the NBA this year. they are the team to beat. No way Clippers have a chance without Leonard.
lmao regular wins means squat. id take a healthy Warriors and Nets team over Suns anyday. Once they get bounced what will be your excuse
I agree about the Warriors. Too bad they have so many injuries. When they were rolling this year, hard to bet against another championship.
But where is the competition going to come from? The Suns are a good team but who’s going to bounce them? The Nugs without Murray? The Mavs?
Nets are too inconsistent and have too many egos. Would not be surprised to see Heat or Bucks in title series, but hard to see either beating Phoenix
I’d also take a prime 97 Bulls team. Those arguments are baseless. “I’d take x team at 100%.” Lol ok dude
The Suns make it to the Finals the season before and you say they “haven’t proven anything in the playoffs”? Talk about a bad take…
bad take? thats like saying if Booker got injured and Pelicans beat them, it means Pelicans are better and proved it
Most teams that have success in the playoffs are beneficiaries of their opponents having significant injuries. The Bucks beat a Nets teams with Kyrie unavailable and Harden a decoy and had to overcome an injury to Giannis to even get there. The Lakers beat the Heat when the Heat had lost Adebayo and Dragic. The Raptors beat your Warriors when Thompson and Durant both had devastating injuries. The Warriors themselves benefited from CP3’s injury in the WCF in 2018.
I could go on and on but the point is injuries happen in the playoffs and you at the hand that dealt you.
This is one horrible take.
A a team with a 36-46 record will make the playoffs… honestly the #2 seed should just get a bye and not have to risk injury. Finishing 10 games under .500 shouldn’t be rewarded.
And… #1 seed. Ugh. New phone and the keys are just slightly further apart. I should have proof read before sending.
The only saving grace is that the Pelicans are probably more of a .500+ team after the deadline trades they made. Still not a threat, but at least less of an embarrassment, maybe.
Pels also benefit from the shortened rotations in the playoffs. They have the best starters.
Mccollum went for 27 in the first half last game, then they slowed the game and looked to Valencunas.
Clips play better without him anyway….
Lol how can this guy be so irresponsible? You’ve ruined the series for your team.
How is he irresponsible for catching a virus that can last in the air for upward of 3 hours, infect you if you’re near a person who has the virus, or if you touch an infected surface among many other ways it can spread?
I take it you are trolling. The new variants are so contagious the only way to avoid getting them is never leaving your house.
No im genuinely confused how someone can be irresponsible when getting sick from covid. Especially since I assume he is vaccinated since Lu said the team was fully vaccinated back in September, which includes George one would think.
link to si.com
It’s very suspicious to me. When the playoffs start, if I’m responsible, I’m going to go out of my way not to catch covid. Millions of us have avoided catching it for 2 years now by just following the simple rules. And we leave the house. But it’s easy to see how complacent America has become by counting the masks (or lack thereof). Jeez, what a downer if I’m a Clipper but of course teammates can’t rock the boat w the season on the line tonight. Still, one game & their star gets covid …
Can I change my pick in the Hoops Rumors poll?
No, they’ve already been reported to corporate.
Can’t play with the sniffles
For all the haters in here, you right PG13 has been very irresponsible for breathing… I mean how dare he breathe, you see now he got the dreaded covidness for breathing!
You guys are a joke, ain’t even a good one, how can you ever blame anyone for catching a virus, bacteria…, SMH!
What do you mean? He could have been more responsible. If he hasn’t had his 12th vaccine dose and if he didn’t social distance by locking himself away from all human interaction and if he didn’t quadruple mask up. He clearly did not do enough. He is clearly a bad teammate and should be cut from the team. How dare him for allowing himself to get Covid.