Doc Rivers: Chris Paul medically cleared to play, could return Thursday
Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul must have eaten some magic healing beans over the All-Star break.
Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said that Paul has been medically cleared to play and could even make his return as soon as Thursday against the Golden State Warriors, per Jovan Buha of ESPN.
Doc Rivers says Chris Paul has been cleared medically to play, and that he could play tomorrow vs. the Warriors depending on how he feels.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 22, 2017
The 31-year-old Paul has missed the last 13 games with a torn left thumb ligament suffered in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 16. But a return this early is a surprise given that he’s roughly a week ahead of even the most optimistic estimate on the original timetable he was given. It does help though that the injury was to his non-shooting hand.
The Clippers went just 6-7 in those 13 games but now could be poised to make a serious second-half run at a top-three seed in the West with the return of their nine-time All-Star floor general apparently imminent.
