The Los Angeles Clippers will likely begin the playoffs without Paul George, that is if they can make it without him.
The Clippers announced on Wednesday that George suffered a sprained right knee Tuesday and will be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks.
The regular season ends in two-and-a-half weeks and the eight-time All-Star is expected to miss Los Angeles’ final nine games.
With a 38-35 record, the Clippers enter play on Wednesday in fifth place in the Western Conference, but also just one-and-a-half games out of seventh place, which would put them in the play-in tournament.
They are 6-11 without George this season with losses in five of the last seven games he has missed, which does not include Tuesday’s 101-100 defeat to the seventh-placed Oklahoma City Thunder.
George was injured with 4:38 remaining when his knee collided with Luguentz Dort's knee in the air while attempting a rebound and he crumbled to the floor.
He stayed down on the court for a while until being helped off the court, unable to put weight on his leg.
Prior to Tuesday’s defeat, Los Angeles had won five of six with George leading the charge, averaging 28.3 points – 4.5 higher than his season average.
The 32-year-old is averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 56 games this season and now the Clippers will have to figure out how to win without their leading scorer to get back to the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament last season.
LeBron, Bronny play first game together
It will be a birthday to remember for Bronny James - and for his father, as well.
LeBron James and Bronny made NBA history, becoming the first father and son to play in an NBA game at the same time in the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday in Palm Desert, California.
Not only did they become the first father-son duo to play in any NBA game, they played as team-mates.
Bronny entered the game as a substitute at the beginning of the second quarter to join his dad on the court.
The memorable moment also came on Bronny's 20th birthday.
The older James will turn 40 in December, but is still at the top of his game. He's set to begin his record-tying 22nd season in the NBA after averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 71 games for the Lakers in 2023-24.
Bronny, who was selected with the 55th pick in this year's draft, is expected to spend much of this season in the G League, but will almost certainly have an opportunity to play alongside his father with the Lakers at some point in the 2024-25 season.
Liberty oust two-time defending champion Aces in semifinals; Sun force Game 5 vs. Lynx
There will be no three-peat in the WNBA this season after the New York Liberty eliminated the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces with a 76-62 victory in Game 4 of the semi-finals on Sunday.
Sabrina Ionescu paced four players in double figures with 22 points for the Liberty, who won the first two games of the best-of-five series before the Aces took Game 3 to avoid being swept.
A’ja Wilson led the way for Las Vegas with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots after winning her record-tying third WNBA MVP Award last month.
New York will next meet the Minnesota Lynx or Connecticut Sun as it tries to win its first NBA title after losing each of its previous five trips to the WNBA Finals.
The Sun pulled out a 92-82 win over the Lynx later Sunday to stave off elimination and even up their semi-final series at two games apiece. Game 5 will be on Tuesday.
Alyssa Thomas led Connecticut with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, while Napheesa Collier carried Minnesota, finishing with 29 points and 13 boards.
Leonard 'getting stronger' after knee injury
Kawhi Leonard says he is feeling "good and getting stronger" as the Los Angeles Clippers small forward continues his recovery from a knee injury.
The two-time NBA champion missed the final eight games of the 2023-24 regular season after suffering inflammation in his right knee, as well as most of the Clippers' first-round series defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs.
Leonard has since undergone surgery and heavily focused on strengthening his knee during the Clippers' training camp in Hawaii.
However, the 33-year-old knows he must not rush his return to competitive action, or playing in successive games.
"I feel good. [I have] just been taking my time, getting stronger and getting ready," he said during the Clippers' 91-90 pre-season defeat to the Golden State Warriors, in which he did not feature.
"We're just taking it slow, day by day, and just trying to get me back on the floor. Once those conversations come, we'll see what they're talking about [on the best approach for back-to-backs]."
Leonard played 68 regular-season games last term, his most in a single campaign since 2016-17.
And while he wants to feature as regularly as possible this season, he is focused on maintaining his fitness for the crunch stages of the campaign.
"This is what I work for," he added. "I strive to get a championship, and I'm not out there to try to [solely] play 82 games.
"I'm trying to win, even though [playing as much as I can] that's obligated for me. I try to. But it hasn't worked out [the last two post-seasons], so we'll see."
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