Chris Paul roster

Joseph Ibarra

The NBA announced today that L.A. Clippers point guard Chris Paul has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. This is Paul’s sixth consecutive year on the First Team and seventh overall time in his career, making him the 9th player in NBA history with at least seven career nods. He received 140 points, including 61 First Team votes.

Joining Paul on the NBA All-Defensive First team are forward Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, center Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, forward Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs and guard Patrick Beverley of the Houston Rockets.

Paul was third in the NBA in steals per game (1.95) this season. He has led the NBA in steals in six of the past 10 seasons. Paul was previously named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2009 and was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2011 and 2008.

The NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of guards Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies (80 points, 17 First Team votes) and Danny Green of the Spurs (68 points, 21 First Team votes), center Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans (58 points) and forwards Andre Roberson of the Oklahoma City Thunder (53 points, 3 First Team votes) and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks (35 points, 7 First Team votes).

Players were awarded two points for each First Team vote and one point for each Second Team vote. Voters were asked to select two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position where they received the most votes.

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Chris Paul named to NBA All-Defensive First Team

Jay Johnson

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Chris Paul’s Fast Hands and Gruesome Fingers

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Clippers will head into the second game of their back-to-back without star big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

The Clippers take on the Denver Nuggets on Thursday just hours after a disappointing 97-96 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center. Los Angeles’ loss was their second straight and places them just a game and a half above the surging sixth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder for the fifth seed in the West.

After the game, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers confirmed that Griffin and Jordan will miss the trip to the Rocky Mountains to keep them healthy and well-rested for the stretch run. The absences will pose some challenges for the Clippers, but Chris Paul says that the team must remain resolute.

“It’s a challenge any time [you lose players],” Paul, who tallied six points with seven assists on Wednesday night, said. [Denver] is one of the toughest back-to-backs in the league, especially coming from here. But once they throw the ball up, it’s about what you do in between the lines and you figure it out.”

Against the Bucks, Griffin and Jordan were catalysts as the Clippers came agonizingly close to stealing a victory against a cagey Milwaukee team.

Jordan led the way with his 30th double-double of the season scoring a team-high 22 points and adding 17 rebounds. The Clippers’ big man proved vital late in the game with 11 points in the final quarter as he kick-started a rally that fell just short.

Griffin, meanwhile, notched 18 points with seven rebounds to pair with four assists in the defeat to the Bucks. After Wednesday’s loss, Griffin admitted that he was disappointed to be sitting out for the Denver trip, but understood Rivers’ decision to leave the duo in Los Angeles.

“I don’t like sitting out, no matter what. I know [DeAndre Jordan] doesn’t either,” Griffin told reporters. “But, at the end of the day, you do what’s best for the team or what the team thinks is best for the team. It’s kind of out of our hands a little bit."

Although neither player is pleased with resting for a game as important as Thursday, Jordan admits that the Clippers’ big men will need to recharge before Saturday when Los Angeles hosts LeBron James and the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I think it can help us recovery wise. I know for myself, and I think I can speak for Blake [Griffin] too, we want to be out there every game that we are healthy,” Jordan, who will miss his first game of the season on Thursday, said. “We want to be out there helping our teammates and getting better as a unit.

“Like Blake said, when the team thinks this is something that is best for the team we are going to back it 120% and support the team tomorrow by watching and resting to be ready for our next game.”

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Chris Paul: Clippers must "figure it out" with DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin set to miss Denver trip

LOS ANGELES – Injured point guard Chris Paul could return as soon as Thursday against the Warriors, as he appears ahead of schedule on his initial recovery timetable of six to eight weeks.

Paul, who underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb Jan. 18, was back on the practice court Tuesday and Wednesday, just five weeks after the injury.

“He could play tomorrow,” head coach Doc Rivers said before Wednesday’s practice. “I can’t tell you if he will or not, but he’s been cleared medically. We just want to make sure that he’s comfortable playing.”

The Clippers return from the All-Star break on a hot streak, having won each of their last four games, but it didn’t start that way after losing Paul to his injury Jan. 16 against the Thunder.

They went on to lose four of their next five games to close out January, and that skid continued into February, as the Clippers lost seven of their first nine games without Paul before bouncing back with four straight wins.

Now back from the All-Star break, there’s no easing in, starting a back-to-back Thursday on the road at Golden State before returning home a night later to host San Antonio. It’s at least possible Paul is back for either one of those games against the West’s top two teams, but the Clippers won’t rush him back until he feels comfortable and ready.

“We could be playing anybody,” Rivers said. “Obviously, you want your best players on the floor, and whenever that happens, it happens. I’m not going to rush it. If Chris says he’s not comfortable, I’m not going to play him (just) because we’re playing Golden State. It’s not worth it. You don’t win anything tomorrow, and I get that 100 percent.”

Still, signs were encouraging during a Tuesday practice Rivers said Paul “looked great” in, participating the entire time and looking more and more aggressive as they continued.

Pressed with questions about how he’s feeling and when he’ll return, Paul continued to utter the phrase “it’s getting better,” noncommittal on a specific date he’ll be back on the court. But Paul, who’s averaging 17.5 points, 9.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game this year, is at least on the right path to an earlier return than initially expected.

One thing Paul made clear: He won’t return just because of the talent of his upcoming competitors, and he won’t risk hurting the team by rushing back.

“When I’m ready and able to play, trust me, I will,” Paul said. “The guys will hold it down until then.”

Overall, the Clippers are 6-7 since losing Paul to his thumb injury. Including the seven games he missed earlier this season with a hamstring injury, the Clippers are 8-12 in games without Paul this year and 3-7 in games without both Paul and Blake Griffin.

They demonstrated early in the year what they can look like when the starting lineup’s healthy, and with Griffin back from knee surgery and rolling in February – averaging 25.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game this month – and Paul on the mend, the arrow’s suddenly pointing up for the Clippers, who still find themselves in fourth place in the Western Conference despite Paul and Griffin each missing 20 games this year.

In Paul’s mind, the key to maintaining that level of play and building on a four-game winning streak is clear.

“We played well toward the end of that road trip, and it was just our defense,” Paul said. “I was in constant communication with Blake and the guys, same thing we talked about at the beginning of the season: If we defend, we control our own destiny.”

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Injury Update: Paul Medically Cleared, Could Return This Week

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Photos: NBA Cares - Chris Paul visits YMCA

LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul tried to remain positive.

He knew something wasn’t right the second his left thumb collided with Russell Westbrook, despite the initial X-ray results coming back negative. But he hoped for the best, right until the point Tuesday morning’s MRI results revealed a torn ligament in his left thumb.

“Even today at my MRI, my wife was as optimistic as you could be,” Paul said Tuesday night, speaking from his annual CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational. “But the news came back, and now I’ve got to move forward.”

Despite getting the news earlier that morning that he’d be out for the next six to eight weeks, Paul still kept his obligation. He hosted his eighth annual bowling event, wearing a red jacket and pants around a white shirt and donning a black hat that matched the black brace surrounding his left thumb, which would need surgery the next day.

Admittedly, receiving the results was tough. He tried to remind himself of a quote his mother and his late grandfather used to tell him.

“’Everything happens for a reason,’” Paul repeated. “Unfortunately but fortunately, the team has played without me before, so the fellas will hold it down and I’ll be ready when I’m back.”

Based on the six-to-eight-week timetable, that will likely mean holding it down for another 16 to 24 games, returning sometime in late February or early March. The Clippers already dealt without Paul for seven games earlier this season with a strained left hamstring, going 2-5 in those games while missing both Paul and Blake Griffin.

Austin Rivers, who attended Paul’s bowling event Tuesday night along with teammate Luc Mbah a Moute, said he’ll eagerly wait Paul’s return, while looking forward to getting Griffin back sometime soon following the forward’s Dec. 20 right knee procedure.

Rivers jumped into the starting lineup when Paul missed time earlier this season, and his strong play during that time earned him more starts once Paul returned, with the Clippers utilizing a small-ball lineup. The latest Paul injury will mean even more crucial minutes for Rivers, who’s averaging 16.5 points on 47.8 percent shooting from the floor and 42.3 percent shooting from long distance in 13 starts this year.

“We’re going to chug along,” Rivers said. “Good news is he’ll be back in no time, miss 16 or 17 games. We’re going to hold the ship down for him.”

As hopeful as Paul was that nothing was seriously wrong, his reaction immediately after the injury, abruptly walking back to the locker room, said it all.

It was eerily similar to the way he left Game 4 last postseason in Portland, when he fractured his right hand and was forced out of the remainder of the playoffs. Plus, Paul knows the feeling of a torn ligament in his thumb, having done so on his right hand at a Team USA training camp in 2012.

“I sort of knew something wasn’t right, but I don’t know,” Paul said to Clippers.com. “I guess I’ve been through this before. No pity party over here, just trying to get back.”

In the meantime, he tried to keep an upbeat attitude Tuesday night at his event, hosting professional bowlers Chris Barnes, Pete Weber, EJ Tackett, Tommy Jones and Sean Rash, as well as a host of celebrities, including DJ Khaled, actor Miles Brown, Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts, Broncos running back CJ Anderson and former NBA player Terrell Owens.

The event helps benefit the CP3 Family Foundation, whose mission it is to level the playing field for children by funding activities such as scholarship programs and food drives, as well as refurbishing Boys &amp; Girls Clubs and adding technology to schools in need.

“The fact that he’s here in spite of everything going on says a lot about Chris,” Owens said.

The celebrities in attendance offered their support to Paul, with many assuming they wouldn’t see him on the lanes after finding out about the injury. But to assume Paul wouldn’t try to bowl one-handed would be underestimating his competitiveness.

“I’m going to do something at some point tonight,” Paul said. “At the end of the day, it’s my left hand that’s hurt, not my right.”

The CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational airs Friday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN. Not long after, Paul should be returning to the court, if all stays according to plan.

That means the Clippers should get him back before any final playoff push.

“No question, I’ll be back,” Paul said. “Ain’t no doubt about that.”

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Chris Paul: “Everything Happens For A Reason”

LOS ANGELES – Clippers point guard Chris Paul will need surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, likely forcing him out for the next six to eight weeks.

Paul, who will undergo surgery Wednesday, left Monday’s game against the Thunder with a sprained left thumb and didn’t return. Initial X-rays showed no break, but further tests Tuesday morning revealed the tear, which occurred after Paul jammed his left hand on Russell Westbrook’s right leg in the second quarter.

Paul went around a Joffrey Lauvergne screen while chasing Westbrook, who jumped into Paul while attempting to draw a foul on a 3-point attempt. Immediately after the play, a frustrated Paul walked straight to the locker room with head athletic trainer Jasen Powell.

Head coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t see the injury as it happened, but he knew the kind of injury Paul sustained from playing the position and seeing Paul favor his left hand after the play.

“That’s the one injury we get,” Rivers said Monday night. “You know the pain. I’m sure CP was thinking the worst at the time. He’s already got pretty good news with the normal X-ray being negative. You’ve just got to hope for the best.”

Unfortunately, the news wasn’t positive.

That was obvious to most of Paul’s teammates, who remember the point guard walking off the court in a similarly solemn fashion last postseason when he fractured his right hand in Portland.

J.J. Redick said the real worry set in when Paul didn’t return for the second half.

“I’ve seen Chris go off before and he tries to play,” Redick said immediately after Monday’s win. “I’m not assuming the worst by any means, but I recognize there’s probably a good chance he’s out a game or two, best case. “Worst case… we’ll deal with that.”

The procedure will be performed by Dr. Steve Shin, and Paul will continue to undergo treatment and evaluation by the Clippers’ medical staff.

Paul was averaging 17.8 points, 12.3 assists and six rebounds per game in January and had eight points, six assists and three rebounds in 13 minutes before the injury. Monday’s game against Oklahoma City was Paul’s fifth game back from a strained left hamstring, which forced him out for seven games.

The Clippers are 26-9 this year with Paul in the lineup and 2-5 when he’s out, though they were also without Blake Griffin throughout that time.

On the bright side on the injury front, Griffin’s picked up his rehab and is working out on the court as he reaches the beginning of his four-to-six-week recovery from a right knee procedure.

“Blake’s going to be back soon,” Redick said. “Next guy up, I guess. We’ve kind of dealt with this quite a bit lately, and we’ll continue to plug away.”

Rivers said Griffin “feels wonderful” and “looks like he’s explosive again” as he watches the power forward work out. There’s no set date yet for Griffin’s return, but it becomes even more crucial with the latest news on Paul.

Raymond Felton and Austin Rivers both saw their minutes increase when Paul was on the shelf with the hamstring strain, and that’s likely to occur again.

“It’s tough,” Austin Rivers said. “We just have to keep attacking and keep moving forward. I know we can keep this win streak going.”

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Chris Paul To Undergo Surgery For Torn Ligament In Left Thumb

SACRAMENTO – Friday night brought a welcome change for Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, and it wasn’t just the shift from rap music to James Brown in the postgame locker room he appreciated after a third straight win.

Point guard Chris Paul, who missed seven of the last eight Clippers game with a strained left hamstring, returned to the court and moved into the top 10 all-time in assists on the way to a 106-98 win.

“He is as tough a guy as I’ve ever been around,” Rivers said, comparing Paul’s toughness to that of former Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. “We’ve got some gritty dudes on our team. I think that’s going to show well later in the year.”

Paul knew exactly how many minutes he played, reciting “31 minutes, 26 seconds,” when asked postgame. And after those 31 minutes, 26 seconds, 14 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and three steals, he came out feeling fine, which was more important than any accolade or statistic.

“It feels great,” Paul said. “That’s a good thing. I don’t feel nothing…came out unscathed.”

Going into the night, Rivers was less concerned about a strict total minutes limit with Paul as he was making sure Paul didn’t play too many consecutive minutes. At nearly the six-minute mark in the first quarter, Rivers made sure to give Paul a breather.

But late in the game, the floor general was on the court when it mattered most. By then, Paul had already moved past Rod Strickland for No. 10 on the NBA’s all-time assists leaderboard and past Danny Manning for No. 6 on the Clippers’ all-time scoring leaderboard.

Paul joined Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and the NBA’s all-time leader in assists, John Stockton, as the only players in the top 10 in career assists and top 15 in career steals.

“That’s cool, it’s an honor,” Paul said. “It’s a privilege. For me, it’s crazy. I’m so competitive I think about all the game I missed because of injuries, but that’s an honor and a privilege. I think it says a lot about my teammates and my coaches that I’ve had over the years.”

There was a time that Paul, now at 7,994 career assists, set a goal to pass Stockton, who has nearly twice as many assists in his career (15,806) in both steals and assists.

That’s something he’s since given up on.

“No chance,” Paul said. “I missed 18 games my second year in the league with an ankle injury. That went out the window then.”

But Paul could certainly keep creeping up the all-time assists lists as the games and years go by, with Andre Miller’s 8,524 assists next up at No. 9. His head coach, who didn’t realize what Paul had accomplished in cracking the top 10, had little doubt that’ll happen after finding out about Paul’s accolade.

“That’s awesome,” Rivers said. “I didn’t know that. He’s still got a lot of years left. I got a feeling he’s going to keep going up. He’s one of the greatest passers ever. I think we already know that.”

The Kings know that, too, particularly after Paul dished his way to 12 assists in his return. The Clippers still utilized a three-guard starting lineup with Paul back, also starting J.J. Redick and Austin Rivers, who finished with a game-high 24 points after posting a season-high 28 points in his previous game.

With Paul back, it allowed the Clippers’ other guards to play fewer minutes, which meant saving up for gas for the end. The Clippers would need it, with the Kings hanging around in a back-and-forth finish.

Rivers said Paul’s rust after missing most of the last couple weeks was obvious (Paul uncharacteristically lost the ball out of bounds on a drive in the final minute with the Clippers up by two points). But the toughness, grit and poise Rivers mentioned from Paul was just as obvious.

Before that turnover, it was Paul finding DeAndre Jordan for an and-1 finish, then getting to the line himself as the clock ticked under two minutes on the next possession. And after that turnover in the final minute, it was Paul getting his hand in along with Luc Mbah a Moute off a DeMarcus Cousins pass to come up with a steal.

“Got in there, collapsed on the defense,” Paul said. “You just get to the next play.”

After the steal, Paul was fouled and sealed the win with free throws. Rivers said it was Paul and the Clippers’ defensive plays down the stretch he thought made the difference, as they head back to Los Angeles with three straight wins to start 2017.

“We’re talented, we’ve got enough guys,” Paul said. “We’re going to win games, but for us, it’s bigger than that. We can go out…not trying to be funny, but winning 50 games, that’s easy. Not for everybody, but for us, that’s easy. But for us, its big picture. We’re trying to build for something bigger than that.”