Chris Paul fractures hand in Game 4 loss to Blazers

The Los Angeles Clippers lost a lot more than the series lead Monday when they fell to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4.

Superstar point guard Chris Paul suffered a fractured right hand midway through the third quarter on what appeared to be an innocent defensive play.

While Paul attempted to swipe the ball from Gerald Henderson with his left hand, his right hand bent awkwardly and succumbed to a third metacarpal fracture.

"It doesn't look good for him," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said following the game.

Paul left the arena with his right arm in a cast and a sling, and will be further evaluated Tuesday.

"He was clearly disappointed and upset, but there's nothing you can do," teammate Blake Griffin said. "You try to tell a guy like that that 'it's OK, we got you' and 'it's going to be okay,' but he's a competitor and wants to play, so it's tough. It's not easy dealing with injuries, especially this time of year. As his teammates we'll always have his back and go from there."

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The soon to be 31-year-old, who has yet to appear in a conference finals game, seemed to sense something was severely wrong immediately, as he left the court in an emotional outburst.

Paul, who entered Game 4 averaging 26.3 points and 8.3 assists in the series, had 16 points, four assists, and three steals before leaving Monday's contest.