Chauncey Billups to return against Timberwolves
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will make his season debut Wednesday night and is expected to start against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.
Billups tore his left Achilles tendon in a Feb. 6 game at Orlando and missed the remainder of the 2011-12 season. He wasn't expected to return until December.
Billups, 36, isn't expected to be under a minutes restriction, but the Clippers do plan to bring him along slowly as he gets into stronger condition. Los Angeles has previously started Willie Green at shooting guard this season and has a logjam at the guard positions with Billups, Green, Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford and Eric Bledsoe. The Clippers are also still awaiting the debut of injured forward Grant Hill.
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Despite the lengthy recovery process, Billups quickly announced after the injury that he didn't plan to retire. The Clippers re-signed him to a one-year, $4 million contract.
The Clippers have lost four straight games, including an embarrassing 105-98 defeat against the New Orleans Hornets on Monday.
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