The Los Angeles Clippers face a tough test in the opening round of the playoffs when they battle Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the first round. Facing a surging Suns side is already a major challenge in itself, but unfortunately for Clippers fans, the absence of Paul George due to injury will make this an even more daunting task for them.

NBA insider Shams Charania recently dropped a timely update on the injury status of George, who himself has been out of commission for three weeks now due to a sprained knee. The bad news for LA fans is that PG is NOT expected to be available to start the series against Phoenix:

“Sources: Clippers star Paul George is expected to be sidelined to begin the first-round playoff series against the Suns, but is making some tangible progress from his March 21 knee injury,” Shams wrote in his tweet.

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Charania did not provide a firm timetable for Paul George's return to action, but you can be sure that the Clippers will do everything they can to bring him back as soon as they can. Based on his cryptic report above, it is clear that PG won't be available for Game 1 on Saturday.

However, given that there's still a bit of time for him to recover in the coming days, it's possible that the Clippers get George back for Game 2. Then again, there's still a possibility that the 32-year-old ends up sitting out for more than just one game. At this point, Clippers fans will just have to wait and hope for the best.