Clippers' Paul George Ruled out vs. Celtics After Suffering Hamstring Injury

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George suffered a hamstring injury in the first half against the Boston Celtics on Thursday at TD Garden 

George, 29, is averaging 22.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals for the 37-17 Clips, who are third in the Western Conference.

The ex-Indiana Pacer and Oklahoma City Thunder star joined the Clips after a trade sent him from OKC to L.A. last summer. That move formed a new super-team duo with two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who left the Toronto Raptors in free agency.

The Clips have fared well for the most part despite George missing the first 11 games of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgeries. He didn't show any rust upon his return, however, scoring 33 points in just 24 minutes in his season debut against the New Orleans Pelicans.

A left hamstring strain kept him out for a Jan. 4 contest versus the Memphis Grizzlies. He dropped 32 points against the New York Knicks the following day but sat with the same injury on Jan. 10 versus the Golden State Warriors.

Leonard and super subs Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell should shoulder more of the scoring and usage loads with George out. Leonard, in particular, is averaging 27.1 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Candidates to see more playing time in George's absence include Marcus Morris Sr. and JaMychal Green. Morris is posting 11.5 points and 4.5 boards per game, and Green has recorded 6.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per night.