Chris Paul is back on the court for Clippers

For Chris Paul and the Clippers, the wait was finally over, the speculation about when he would play coming to an end Wednesday night against the Lakers.

Paul started at point guard, his first time playing after sitting out the last five games because of a strained left hamstring.

Paul practiced Tuesday, then worked out at the team’s shoot-around Wednesday morning and again at Staples Center a few hours before the game.

Paul had wanted to play sooner, but Coach Vinny Del Negro didn’t want to rush back the All-Star guard.

“We gave him the extra few days just to be as cautious as possible,” Del Negro said. “He probably could have played a little bit against Toronto [on Sunday], but it didn’t make sense to me and the staff. He’s itching to get out there.”

Del Negro said the plan was to limit Paul’s minutes.

Paul took his first rest with 5 minutes 28 seconds left in the first quarter.

Del Negro said Paul was “a little bit more sore than he had been in the past” after Tuesday’s practice.

Asked at what percentage Paul’s hamstring was, Del Negro responded with a joke.

“I haven’t been inside his hamstring lately, so I couldn’t tell you exactly,” he said.

Coincidentally, Paul was injured Jan. 14 against the Lakers.

Eric Bledsoe headed to D-League

Clippers second-year guard Eric Bledsoe, who has sat out every game this season while recovering from surgery for torn cartilage in his right knee, will start playing in the NBA’s Development League.

The Clippers will send the point guard to their Bakersfield Jam team to play Thursday and Friday.

If all goes well, Bledsoe is expected to join the Clippers in Denver for their game against the Nuggets on Sunday.

“I feel good,” Bledsoe said. “They’re sending me there for a couple of games to see how I do. I feel like I’m 100%. I’m just anxious to play.”

Clippers celebrate ABA with uniforms

The Clippers will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the long-gone American Basketball Assn. by wearing commemorative uniforms of the Los Angeles Stars during Thursday night’s game at Staples Center against the Memphis Grizzlies, who will wear uniforms with “Tams” on the jerseys.

The Stars were an ABA franchise that played at the Sports Arena in 1968-69 and 1969-70.

The Clippers will wear the Stars uniforms, part of the NBA Hardwood Classics series, Feb. 11 at Charlotte, Feb. 18 against San Antonio, Feb. 22 against Denver, Feb. 28 against Minnesota and March 5 at Minnesota.

broderick.turner@latimes.com

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