Caron Butler

  MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Caron Butler fractured his left hand during the third quarter of the Clippers' playoff game against Memphis on Sunday. Butler was holding his hand after he scored a basket in the third quarter. He had 12 points on five-for-12 shooting. The Clippers said Butler's status for the rest of the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series against the Grizzlies will be determined later. Butler missed the Dallas Mavericks' championship run last season after rupturing the patellar tendon in his right knee on Jan. 1, 2011.

SACRAMENTO - For just the second time during his 11-year career, Caron Butler has played in as many as 78 regular-season games. And for Butler, being injury-free for the playoffs, which start Saturday for the Clippers, is key. When the Clippers met the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in 2012, Butler suffered a broken left hand in Game 1. He missed Game 2 but played in the rest of the Clippers'...

Clippers small forward Caron Butler, who missed the Oklahoma City  game on Wednesday night with a strained right shoulder, said he will be in the lineup Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets. Butler was injured in a game last week against the Chicago Bulls. He played in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs Monday, but didn't return after that. Matt Barnes , who started in Butler's place Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, will return to his reserve role for Friday's game.

Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said the playing status of Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups wouldn't be determined until "game time" Tuesday night. But every indication Monday was that both Butler, who has a sore right knee, and Billups, who has a strained right groin, will play against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. Billups, who practiced Monday, stuck to the company line, saying, "I'm game-time. " Then he paused and said: "Barring anything crazy, I expect to be out there.

Caron Butler will be in the starting lineup Saturday for the Clippers in Game 3 of the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center despite a fractured left hand, said sources who were not authorized to speak publicly on the situation. The decision was made after Butler practiced Friday and after he saw a hand specialist Thursday, the sources said. Butler, who is right-handed, did some shooting at practice with a brace on his hand. Butler was injured in the third quarter of Game 1 in Memphis on Sunday and the original diagnosis was that he would be sidelined four to six weeks recovering from the injury, putting his return in late May at the earliest.

Earl Boykins returned after a one-game suspension to score a season-high 26 points and the Bucks beat the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks, 99-87, Saturday night in Milwaukee. Missing Dirk Nowitzki for the third consecutive game because of a sprained right knee and Shawn Marion because of a thigh injury, the Mavericks suffered another blow when starting forward Caron Butler injured his right knee in the first quarter. The extend of his injury wasn't immediately known. Dallas lost its third in a row. at San Antonio 101, Oklahoma City 74: Tim Duncan scored 21 points for the Spurs, who followed up wins over the Lakers and Dallas with a rout of another West power and improved their NBA-best record to 29-4, one the 10 best starts in league history.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - While Chris Paul was getting his bruised right kneecap worked on in the training room Thursday morning, Caron Butler was on the Target Center court participating in the Clippers' shoot-around. Butler said he will play Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves despite a sore right foot. The Clippers have been listing Paul as day-to-day, but he has missed the last two games. There were no indications that Paul would play against Minnesota, meaning that backup Eric Bledsoe would be the starting point guard.

The Clippers and free-agent forward Caron Butler will have a face-to-face meeting Monday at the team's Playa Vista training facility. "Yes, Caron is going to come and visit with the Clippers tomorrow," Butler's agent, Raymond Brothers, said in a phone interview Sunday night. Butler, who played for the Dallas Mavericks last season, is the sort of small forward the Clippers hope can fill that void for them. He averaged 15 points per game last season. But Butler played in just 29 games after having surgery last January to repair a ruptured right patellar tendon.

Caron Butler made a 19-foot jumper with 0.5 of a second remaining, capping the Washington Wizards' comeback from a 21-point deficit in a 92-91 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night. Washington went down by 21 in the first quarter, went ahead by nine in the fourth, lost the lead again and then came back to cap a wild win, with Butler getting 31 points and nine rebounds. -- associated press

Caron Butler and Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro have had frequent conversations about Butler's role on the team. Butler and Del Negro agreed that the small forward has to take his open shots, keep playing defense and improve his rebounding. Basically, Butler has been asked to play an all-around game. "I talked to him because I'm a man and I wanted us to be clear on what the role is or what is expected of me," Butler said. "It was clear for me to rebound, do what I've been doing on the defensive end. And the shots that I get, be aggressive and take them.

MEMPHIS - Grant Hill can see the end of his career coming. "I'm 99% sure this it, that this will be my last season," Hill said. But then Hill was asked to step into a void for the Clippers when Caron Butler was unable to play in the second half of the Clippers' 91-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday because of a sore right knee. Hill scored five points on two-for-three shooting, had one rebound and two blocked shots in 11 minutes 28 seconds. So, Hill was asked after the game in which he played a pivotal role, is he still thinking about retiring?

Caron Butler, who missed the last two games with a strained left elbow, practiced Friday and said he was hopeful that he can play Sunday when the Clippers host the New York Knicks at Staples Center. “Yeah, that's what I'm looking forward to,” Butler said after practice. “That's definitely a strong possibility.” The Clippers had said Butler would be out a week while recovering from the injury. If Butler does play Sunday, it will have been 10 days since he was injured against the Detroit Pistons.

It can be argued that Matt Barnes is playing the best of his 10-year career. At least that what the numbers say. Barnes is averaging a career-high 10.7 points. His 36.2% three-point shooting is the second highest in his career. And Barnes is doing all this as the backup small forward behind Caron Butler. "I think he's comfortable with his role on the team," Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said about Barnes. "I have a lot of confidence in him, and he's done a good job for us in a lot of different areas [with]

When the Clippers got the news on the injury front Monday, there was a sigh of relief. The team learned that Caron Butler didn't suffer any structural damage to his left elbow, although an MRI exam revealed Monday that the small forward does have an elbow strain. Coach Vinny Del Negro said Butler will be out "approximately a week" because of the injury. Guard Jamal Crawford , after sitting out the last two games because of a sore left ankle, practiced some Monday and there is a good chance that he will play Wednesday when the Clippers play host to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Clippers announced that Caron Butler has a strained left elbow and will be out “approximately a week.” Butler got an MRI on Monday that revealed exactly what his injury was. He was injured in the third quarter of Sunday night's game against the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center, which left the Clippers very concerned. “Last night I wasn't too optimistic when I saw him in the training room,” Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said after practice Monday. “He was in a lot of pain.

In the midst of the Clippers' 129-97 runaway victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday came the news that Caron Butler suffered a bruised left elbow. It was all going so well for the Clippers too, because they had seven players score in double figures, including all five starters. Even Butler had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists before he grabbed his elbow in pain at Staples Center. Butler went to the locker room with 3 minutes 58 seconds left in the third quarter and didn't return.

Caron Butler wanted to be a Clipper and the Clippers wanted the free-agent forward to be a part of what they are trying to build. For Butler and the Clippers, it all worked out when the sides agreed Thursday to a three-year, $24-million deal. Butler can't sign the contract until Friday, the first day the NBA will allow teams to sign free agents and the day training camp opens. Butler's agent, Raymond Brothers, said his client plans on being at the Clippers' training camp Friday afternoon in Playa Vista.

With the Clippers these days, the roles are forever changing. For Ryan Gomes, his role has changed from last season, something he knew would happen when the Clippers told him they were looking to upgrade at his small forward position. He was the starter last season, but now he is a reserve behind Caron Butler, whom the Clippers signed in free agency to a three-year, $24-million contract. "My thoughts were that we got a guy who played in the playoffs a lot," Gomes said about Butler after practice Thursday.

TORONTO — Caron Butler has never played so few minutes in his 11 seasons in the NBA and, in his second season with the Clippers, he is also close to a career low in scoring. But Butler is not complaining. He is the starting small forward and would like to play more. But Butler knows that his backup, Matt Barnes , has been playing some of the best basketball of his 10-year career, and that has taken playing time away from Butler. Butler is averaging 23.9 minutes per game, the sixth-most on the Clippers, while also averaging 9.8 points per game, the fifth-most on the team.