After entering the NBA’s health and safety regulations, Paul George will miss Friday’s play-in game against the Pelicans.
With the season on the line, the Los Angeles Clippers will be without their finest player. Paul George will not play in Friday’s play-in game against the New Orleans Pelicans because he has COVID symptoms.
He has been put into the NBA’s health and safety protocols because of them.
With the Clippers’ season already on the verge, losing George might cost the team a playoff berth. George scored 34 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first play-in round. Without him, the Clippers will have a hard time beating the Pelicans and making it to the first round of the playoffs.
With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard out, the Clippers will have to rely on the rest of the team to get them through the final play-in game and into the playoffs.
The winner of Friday night’s game will face the Phoneix Suns in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Paul George out: NBA fans react
Fans have rushed to Twitter to express their feelings about George’s absence, and there have been various replies. Some fans joked that they sent someone to cough on Paul George, which you can read in the tweets below.
Other Clipper fans aren’t happy with the play-in tournament and how a COVID exposure could help or hurt the Clippers’ chances.
Then there are those who believe the Clippers are cursed, such as Bill Simmons.
There will, of course, be Clipper supporters who attend to criticize Reggie Jackson and the NBA’s efforts to prevent George from playing.
The Clippers’ prospects of beating the Pelicans haven’t been wrecked by Paul George’s surprise absence in the play-in game.
Even with their two key players missing, the Clippers were able to pull ahead of the Pelicans by six games during the regular season.
After missing 51 games because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, George has seen a big drop in in-game action this season.