LOS ANGELES _ Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul has sustained a torn ligament in his left thumb that will require surgery, the team announced after the All-Star got an MRI Tuesday that revealed the seriousness of his injury.
Paul will have the procedure on Wednesday to repair the torn ligaments, and it will be done by Dr. Steve Shin, the Clippers said.
Paul is expected to be out approximately six to eight weeks recovering, the Clippers said. The team also said Paul will continue to undergo treatment and evaluation from the Clippers' medical staff.
He could miss up to 17 games if the maximum timetable holds true. Because of weeklong All-Star break in February, Paul will have more time to recover and not miss too many more regular-season games.
The Clippers host the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night before embarking upon a three-game trip that starts Saturday in Denver and heads to Atlanta Monday night and finishes at Philadelphia Tuesday night in a back-to-back game.
When Paul was initially injured in the second quarter of Monday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center, X-rays showed the sprain and that nothing was broken. Paul did have swelling around the thumb area.
But the more in-depth MRI procedure Tuesday displayed something more serious.
