With Stephen Curry temporarily sidelined due to a knee injury, it seems the Golden State Warriors is not the only team that's short of players during the playoffs. Now, various reports have confirmed that the Los Angeles Clippers will take on the upcoming games without Chris Paul and Blake Griffin because of their injuries.
Both players' injuries occurred during Game 4 between the Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers. During the third quarter, Paul attempted to steal the ball from Gerald Henderson but ended up hurting his right hand, USA Today reported.
Although Paul already underwent surgery for his fractured arm, he may not be able to return as an active player for the team for about three to six weeks, which is the typical recovery period for this condition.
"There's nobody in the league who is going to replace Chris Paul," Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said according to Sports Illustrated. "There's nobody on our team, clearly, that's going to do it."
"But as a group, everyone pitches in," he added.
Griffin, on the other hand, aggravates a quad injury he suffered last Christmas in also a game against the Trail Blazers. According to reports, because of his condition, Griffin will not be able to play for the rest of the playoffs.
Paul and Griffin's injuries certainly came at a very bad time for the Clippers since the team has lost its lead and is now tied with the Trail Blazers. With two of its key players sidelined, the Clippers will surely have a hard time securing the win in the upcoming games for the playoffs.
It seems history is repeating itself for the Clippers since Paul was also forced to miss a couple of games during the playoffs last year. During the first round in 2015, he was able to lead the team to victory against the San Antonio Spurs despite suffering from a hamstring injury.
However, this condition forced him to miss the games in the second round. This contributed to the loss of the Clippers to the Houston Rockets even though the team led the series by three games.
