Paul George's Hip Injury Diagnosed as Contusion; Will Undergo Further Evaluation

Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George suffered a right hip contusion in his team's 116-108 playoff victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday at Chesapeake Energy Arena, ESPN.com's Royce Young reported.

George will have the hip evaluated Monday to determine the extent of the injury.

The five-time All-Star finished with a game-high 36 points in Sunday's first-round Game 1 win.

George has more than delivered on expectations after landing in Oklahoma City in a trade from the Indiana Pacers. He's averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his first season with the Thunder. He has also been the team's best three-point shooter, hitting 40.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

According to NBA.com, the Thunder were three points better per 100 possessions with George on the floor in the regular season.

While Oklahoma City's radical offseason overhaul hasn't been a disaster, the team remains a step below the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. Carmelo Anthony continues to be a defensive liability, and the acquisitions of George and Anthony came at the cost of the Thunder's depth.

An injury to George—even something minor—could be a significant blow for Oklahoma City since the team has zero margin for error in pursuit of an NBA title.