After garnering three consecutive wins to push their record over .500 for the season, the 10-9 Los Angeles Clippers received multiple setbacks in their 103-91 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Point guard Chris Paul became a late scratch after being pulled from the starting lineup by head coach Doc Rivers prior to the loss because of a strained rib muscle, and shooting guard J.J. Redick joined Paul on the sidelines after spraining his right ankle on the first possession of the contest.
After leaving the Clippers' Monday night victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the third quarter, Paul was encouraged to sit out Los Angeles' contest against the Pacers by team doctors after undergoing examinations on his ribs on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Rivers, the injury may keep Paul out of the lineup for multiple games. Through 15 appearances thus far in 2015-16, Paul is averaging 17.0 points, 8.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game, connecting on 46 percent of his field goal attempts and 34 percent of his three-point attempts.
Redick may also be forced to rest his injured ankle for a few games before returning to the court. The Duke product suffered the sprain after elevating for a jump shot and landing waywardly on his ankle after drawing contact in the opening minute of Wednesday's game.
The nine-year veteran was able to knock down his ensuing pair of free throws, however, was taken out of the game immediately after that, hobbling into the locker room as shooting guard Jamal Crawford took his place on the floor.
A career 40 percent shooter from beyond the three-point arc, Redick is converting on an astounding 46 percent of his three-point attempts this season while shooting 48 percent from the field, averaging 13.4 points per game for Los Angeles in 26 minutes per game.