Los Angeles Clippers forward Caron Butler might return to the line-up on Saturday - NBA Update
Los Angeles Clippers’ hopes of sustenance in the playoffs have been revitalized after it was revealed that Caron Butler might be playing in the upcoming game. The forward fractured his non shooting hand in game-1 on Sunday, but
after consulting a hand specialist on Thursday, he participated in Friday’s practice session with the team wearing a bracelet on his hand.
Initially it was feared that he will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks but the latest development was a pleasant surprise for Coach Vinny Del Negro.
"We got a good report yesterday or as good as you could expect," Del Negro said. "He went through some things today and took some shots and went through some stuff. We'll see how he feels tomorrow. Caron is a tough guy; he's a
battler. He wants to be out there but we also want to be smart about it. I'll evaluate that tomorrow. It was good to see him out there. I think it gives the guys a good boost. He's such a big part of our team and I give him a lot of credit for even being out
there. "
The forward suffered the injury in the 3rd quarter of the game against Memphis Grizzlies. He got his hand strangled in the jersey of Rudy g*y when he was attempting a pin-down screen. He left the game with 2:30 remaining
in the 3rd.
X-Ray reports showed that the 32 year old fractured 5th metacarpal in his non-shooting hand. Butler had also missed the playoffs with the Dallas Mavericks last year due to a knee injury.
He didn’t comment after the practice on Friday but it is expected that he will play on Saturday. Entering into the game both teams are tied at 1-1 in the 1st round of playoffs. Bobby Simmons replaced Butler in the game-2,
but the return of Butler can enhance Clippers chances to make it 2-1.
He averaged 12 points and 3.7 boards in the regular season and collected 12 points and 2 boards in the 1st playoff game.
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