Clippers' Paul out for up to six weeks, no surgery needed

[January 06, 2014]  (Reuters) — All-Star point guard Chris Paul will be sidelined for up to six weeks because of a separated right shoulder but will not require surgery, the Los Angeles Clippers said on Sunday.

The Clippers announced the prognosis after Paul, 28, had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam earlier in the day and was also re-evaluated by team doctors.

Paul suffered the injury during the third quarter of the Clippers' 119-112 win against the Mavericks in Dallas on Friday when he tripped over guard Monta Ellis.

He has since been diagnosed with a joint separation and "will be out up to six weeks", the Clippers said in a statement.

Paul, a six-time All-Star, has appeared in 34 games for the high-flying Clippers this season, averaging 19.6 points, a league-high 11.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds.

The 23-13 Clippers, who sit tied for fourth in the 15-team Western Conference, were hammered 116-92 by the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in their first game without Paul.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; editing by Gene Cherry)

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