Clippers star Paul George practiced with the team on Thursday for the first time since he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. George hasn’t played in a game since December 22.
George is listed as out for Friday’s game against Philadelphia, and there’s no official timetable for his return, but he’s clearly making progress as he recovers from the injury.
“He is doing good,” coach Ty Lue said prior to Thursday’s practice, via Youngmisuk. “He hasn’t felt any pain, so that is a positive thing. Just working on his conditioning and just making sure he can continue to go through the minimal contact without having any issue. So as of right now, it hasn’t been a problem.”
Lue also said that Norman Powell has begun shooting on the court with the team, but is still limited to non-contact work. Powell broke a bone in his left foot after just three games with his new club. He was acquired in a trade with the Blazers ahead of the February deadline.
At 36-38, the Clippers are currently the No. 8 seed in the West. Despite losing four straight games, their place in the standings is pretty secure, as they trail the No. 7 Timberwolves by six games and hold a four-and-a-half-game lead on the No. 9 Lakers with only eight contests remaining.
Youngmisuk states that the Clippers hope to reduce the minutes for veterans Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson ahead of the play-in tournament.
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