Clippers' Paul George tweaks right hamstring again in loss

LOS ANGELES -- LA Clippers star guard Paul George tweaked his right hamstring on Monday night in the same area where he previously had a strain that kept him out of seven games earlier this season.

George scored 25 points and had seven assists but played only five minutes in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' 110-100 loss to the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena.

George said he will receive treatment on the hamstring Tuesday and see how it responds. George's status for the Clippers' upcoming back-to-back road trip is uncertain. The Clippers play at Denveron Thursday and at Minnesotaon Friday.

The Clippers lost their third straight game Monday with Kawhi Leonard out because of a non-COVID-19 illness. It remains to be seen whether Leonard will be available for the upcoming trip.

The Clippers were just beginning to feel whole with Leonard and George healthy again prior to Monday. A glum Ty Lue said after the loss to Miami that he did not know how George was feeling outside of tweaking his hamstring again.

George missed seven games from late November to early December because of a right hamstring tendon strain. During that same stretch, Leonard missed six straight games because of a sprained right ankle.

"Often hamstrings are very, very serious injuries," George said Monday night. "So, I thought the first approach when I was dealing with my hamstring [during the previous absence] was just good, smart. We waited until it felt better and I didn't have any issues, once I returned.

"We won't know more until [Tuesday]. But my job is to do the best that I can and go from there."

George, who scored 13 points in the third quarter when the Clippers erased a 20-point deficit, said he felt something with his hamstring after drawing a foul on Miami'sBam Adebayo with 1:40 to go in the period.

He finished the quarter but left the bench and went back to the locker room to tend to his hamstring before the start of the fourth.

George checked back into the game with 5:39 remaining but had just three points and took only one shot.

"Just take a day-to-day, see how I feel tomorrow," George said. "Give myself the best chance to be able to compete, but definitely take tomorrow and just get treatment around the clock. Try to prepare."