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Butler said he has no problems with making Gay his top priority in Game 4 Monday and beyond. “The role that I’m playing right now, what I’m doing, I can play with no hands,” Butler said. “It’s not a big deal. I can play.” Butler admitted his broken hand was in considerable pain throughout the game Saturday, but after missing Dallas’ title run last postseason due to a knee injury, he wasn’t going to sit another one out. “Once it happened, I was like here we go again,” he said. “But there wasn’t no way they were going to be able to keep me off the court.” And after watching the Clippers lose in Game 2, Butler’s mind was made up. “I was like, ‘I got to get back out there,’” he said. “…My main assignment is to be as efficient and the best I can be on defense, and from an offensive standpoint, whatever I can give will be a huge plus.” Orange County Register

Los Angeles Clippers, Caron Butler 

Caron Butler wasn't about to let a little old thing like a broken left hand keep him out of a playoff game. The Clippers' veteran small forward injured the hand in last Sunday's Game 1 in Memphis and sat out the Clippers' loss Wednesday. He was expected to miss at least four to six weeks - if not the rest of the season. But somehow, someway he willed himself back into the starting lineup Saturday in Game 3 at Staples Center while sporting a bulky protective padding on his hand. Much to the amazement of his teammates. "He is crazy," Clippers point guard Chris Paul joked. Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Clippers, Caron Butler 

All joking aside, Paul was in awe of Butler's toughness. "It would have been so easy for him to say, `I'm done and I'm going to take care of my hand, I will be ready for next year,"' Paul said. But Butler didn't, and that spoke volumes inside the Clippers' locker room. "For a guy to have a broken hand and he is willing to come back and help his teammates, that's big," Clippers guard Randy Foye said. Butler had four points on 2-of-7 shooting in 22 minutes 17 seconds. Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Clippers, Caron Butler 

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. Butler was told by the specialist that if he injured the hand any further that the time frame for him to return would most likely remain the same, the sources said. “He’s a battler,” Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro told reporters after practice Friday. “He wants to be out there, but we also have to be smart about it.” Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Injuries, Caron Butler 

Eric Patten: Coach Del Negro officially confirms Caron Butler will start at small forward Twitter

Los Angeles Clippers, Injuries, Caron Butler 

Perhaps it's wishful thinking on the part of Clippers small forward Caron Butler, but he said, "If there's a will, there's a way," regarding the possibility of his playing before the first-round series with Memphis is over. Butler will see a hand specialist Thursday in Los Angeles after the Clippers return home to determine how bad his fractured left hand is. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Injuries, Caron Butler 

The diagnosis said Butler would be out four to six weeks with the injury, meaning the earliest he could return would be the end of May. Butler, who was replaced in the starting lineup for Game 2 Wednesday night by Bobby Simmons, was injured in the third quarter of Sunday's night's game when his hand got caught in Rudy Gay's jersey. "I haven't done anything with a basketball yet, but I do know that I injured it early in the third quarter and I still was able to play and be effective," Butler said. "I just knew something was wrong and I knew something wasn't feeling right. I'll go see the specialist tomorrow and see what they come up with." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Injuries, Caron Butler 

It has been a trying season for Caron Butler, made even worse when he suffered a fractured left hand in Game 1 of the Clippers' unreal 99-98 come-from-behind victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in a first-round Western Conference playoff game Sunday night. The Clippers said Butler will be out four to six weeks because of the injury. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Injuries, Caron Butler 

Butler said he was injured in the third quarter when his hand got caught in the jersey of Memphis' Rudy Gay. Butler had his hand wrapped up after the game. "It popped back a little bit," Butler said. "I continued to play, but when I got subbed out, I felt it throbbing a little bit so went in and got an X-ray and noticed I got a fracture." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Injuries, Caron Butler 

Justin Verrier: Clips may be embracing Lob City after all. Caron Butler bought the team shirts with the alias on it. Eric Bledsoe sported one postgame. Twitter

Los Angeles Clippers, Eric Bledsoe, Caron Butler 

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle took the public address microphone and reminded the American Airlines Center crowd of the "gruesome" patellar tendon injury in Milwaukee that sidelined Butler last January. Carlisle described how Butler pushed his kneecap back into place and hobbled off the court. "At that moment, the guy was a legend for life, for me," Carlisle told the crowd. Carlisle then introduced Butler as "a Maverick for life" and handed him his ring. Butler was clearly emotional as he stared at the ring, kissed it and acknowledged the cheering crowd. Butler then hugged Carlisle and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Mark Cuban, Caron Butler, Rick Carlisle 

Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said Butler got an MRI exam on the knee Thursday that was negative. Del Negro said Butler injured the knee during the game against Utah on Tuesday night, but played Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, his former team. The coach said "you could tell" Butler's knee was bothering him against Dallas. "He said he feels a little bit better today," Del Negro said. "But with this season and this stretch and things we're on, I think it's best to give him a little break tonight and hopefully he can get some therapy tonight and tomorrow, and we'll see how he feels on Sunday." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Injuries, Caron Butler 

Clippers forward Caron Butler made his decision to sign with the Clippers soon after a meeting with the Nets in New Jersey. "You know, I wanted to play with Deron (Williams) to have an opportunity to play with a point guard like that, but sitting down with Neil (Olshey) and coach (Vinny Del Negro) I knew that we had the opportunity to get a big-time free agent or a guy that was on the market like Dwight Howard or Chris Paul," Butler said. "And I wanted to opportunity to play with a young nucleus like that in a city like L.A." Orange County Register

Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Caron Butler 

Butler said the Nets offered more money than the three-year, $24 million deal the Clippers reportedly offered. Orange County Register

Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Caron Butler 

Stefan Bondy: Caron Butler said he turned down more money from the Nets to join the Clippers, stepped out of meeting with Billy and got call from Clips Twitter

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Caron Butler 

Stefan Bondy: Caron said situation with D Howard was too uncertain to take a chance on the Nets, liked the prospex of Clips better even b4 they got Paul Twitter

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Caron Butler 

Caron Butler was on the way back. Perhaps not to stay, but his ticket to South Florida was booked. The early-December meeting, reunion if you will, was set with Pat Riley. And then the Los Angeles Clippers said take-it-or-leave-it, not for as much as the New Jersey Nets bid in free agency, but for more than the San Antonio Spurs offered. Butler felt he couldn't wait, even if it meant putting a friend on hold. "I was very close to coming back," Butler, the Heat's first-round pick in 2002 NBA Draft, said Wednesday, when the Heat faced the Clippers at Staples Center. "It was very close. I talked to my agent and I went to visit San Antonio and after I went to visit New Jersey, my next visit would have been Miami." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Caron Butler 

Even before pen was put to paper with the Clippers on Dec. 8, word spread of Butler bypassing the Nets' $30 million bid, as well as the Spurs' $21 million pitch. The Heat didn't have as much to offer, not even a starting job, with LeBron James and Wade in place, but they had something nearly as appealing, an enduring friendship. "Dwyane texted me and said, 'If it's true what I'm reading, congratulations. But I hope it ain't true yet,' " Butler said. It was. "I hit him back," Butler said, "and I talked to him and just told him that, 'Yeah, it's true I'm coming to the Clippers.' He was happy for me." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Caron Butler 

"Going back tugged at me real heavy, because I always considered that home," he said. "That was the team and the organization that took the risk through everything I was going through on draft night. "I'm a loyal guy. I felt a sense of loyalty to stay committed to the Miami Heat. I was really tugged that way. I would have done it. I would have been happy there, playing winning basketball, even if I wasn't starting." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Caron Butler 

Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said he wants to get Butler more touches. Del Negro said Butler is very good in the 16-to-18-foot range, just around the free-throw line area. "We have to do a better job getting Caron more involved," Del Negro said. "I have to do a better job and us as a team overall. Caron in that mid-range, we can run things through him a little bit, too. So, we've got to find a way to do a better job of getting him some more touches because he can put a lot of pressure on the defense."Butler is not complaining about his role in the offense. He watches film constantly and says he can do a better job himself. "I'm hard on myself," Butler said. "I try to continue to improve and get better. Sometimes when coach sees me, he's like, 'Hey, I'm going to get you involved.' I tell him I'm just hard on myself because I try to be the best I can be." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Vinny Del Negro, Caron Butler