Paul was taken out of the game with 6.07 remaining in the third quarter, after suffering the injury defending Trail Blazers guard Gerald Henderson.
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Paul broke his right hand, his shooting hand in the third quarter of Game 4, where the Clippers lost, 98-94.
Paul will undergo evaluation Tuesday in Los Angeles, but team indications point to surgery and anywhere from three to six weeks of recovery time – which would prohibit him from returning this season.
According to coach Doc Rivers, the host Blazers outworked, outhustled and outrebounded his Clippers on the way to snapping a five-game slide in the head-to-head series.
Russell Westbrook, (pictured center), had 36 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists as Oklahoma City beat Dallas 118-104 on Monday night to win their first-round playoff series 4-1 and advance to the Western Conference semifinals.
The Clippers limp back home with point guard Chris Paul apparently out until next season and gimpy forward Blake Griffin unsure whether he can answer the call on Wednesday for Game 5. Forward Blake Griffin suffered a left quad injury in the fourth quarter, causing him to sit out the final few minutes.
During the regular season, the Clippers scored 114.6 points per 100 possessions with Paul and Griffin in the game, but just 100.2 when they were on the bench.
Aminu opened the scoring for the Blazers with pair of 3-pointers and a pair of free throws, and Portland jumped out to an early 20-12 lead despite Lillard’s trouble seeing a clear shot. “It’s unfortunate. You don’t wish that on anybody, but they still have a really good team”.
We’ll have more updates on both of these injuries as details come in.
The Warriors have a 3-1 series advantage over the Houston Rockets as it stands right now, and should they go on to eliminate the Rockets as most people anticipate, they’ll face the victor of the Portland-Los Angeles series. For the Trail Blazers, Portland now has the added comfort of knowing Aminu and Crabbe have re-found their stroke.
Westbrook was 13 of 23 from the field and seven of eight on free throws.
“We played our best defensive game (of the series)”, said Portland’s Damian Lillard, who had 12 points, six rebounds and six assists but made only four of 15 shots from the field. It’s understandable that these types of injuries take time, but time may be running out fast for Los Angeles with this series now even at 2-2.
The good news for the Clippers is a return to Staples Center for Game 5 on Wednesday. He tried to play through it, but he could not run and left the game 11 serconds past the midway point in the quarter, as he simply could not go. “I think that would be a foolish thing to do”.
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TNT analyst Kevin McHale, not a doctor but a former rough-hewn player who sustained his share of injuries, said what every Clippers fan dreaded.
