NEW ORLEANS ? Chris Paul has missed 33 games this season.
By the end of April 14, he will have missed 37 in all.
The Hornets announced Wednesday night that Paul will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ligament in his right middle finger.
No surgery is required to repair the injury and the timetable for his return is approximately seven weeks.
“It has been a very difficult season for me in terms of injuries,”
Paul said. “I hate not being out on the court helping my team, but the best thing for me to do is to get completely healthy. I am hopeful to be back playing basketball by June.”
The Hornets’ All-Star point guard will now have missed games because of a left ankle sprain, a torn meniscus in his left knee and now a torn ligament in his right middle finger.
Paul finished the season averaging 18.7 points, 10.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. He finished with 23 games with at least 10 points and 10 assists and 11 games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.
“It’s a difficult situation for him,”
General Manager / Head Coach Jeff Bower said. “I’m sorry he has to go through all of these things. It’s an unfortunate part of this season.”
Bower said Paul originally injured it against Dallas on March 22 and hit it again in practice on Tuesday. The team decided to have an MRI, which revealed the tear.
Paul is expected to speak after tonight’s game against Charlotte.
