Clippers’ Darren Collison hurting but will keep playing

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clippers point guard Darren Collison said that if resting was a realistic option, he “probably would have sat out [some] games” rather than continue to play with a painful sprain of his left big toe.

But Collison is the starter because All-Star point guard Chris Paul is sidelined by a right shoulder separation, an injury that will keep him out another four weeks. And backup point guard Darius Morris is working on his second 10-day contract, which expires Saturday.

That means no respite for Collison, who said he wasn’t going to practice Tuesday but that “I’m definitely playing” Wednesday when the Clippers face the Charlotte Bobcats.

“I’m trying to think positive,” Collison said. “It hurts, it hurts right now. I think it’s going to hurt for a while.”

Collison was injured Saturday night at Indiana, but he played Monday at Detroit.

He labored for 31 minutes against the Pistons, missing all six of his field-goal attempts and scoring just four points.

Collison did have six assists, though, in the Clippers’ 112-103 victory.

“That’s what I was most proud of, that not only I got through it, [but] we won,” Collison said. “Anytime you have an injury and you’re trying to get through something and you lose, it’s like, ‘OK, why did you do that? What did you put yourself in that situation for?’ I just think we’re trying to hold the fort down until CP comes back.

“I think we’re doing a good job. I think everybody has to set aside their individual differences and play regardless if they are hurt.”

Collison, who is averaging 9.4 points and 2.9 assists this season, wore a pad on his toe for protection in the game Monday.

“The pad helped a little bit,” Collison said. “It’s one of those instances like the pad can’t really do too much because if I push off [the toe], it hurts. I never had a toe injury before. I’ve never played with that type of pain before.”

Jamal Crawford, usually a shooting guard, has played some minutes at point guard behind Collison, and probably will do so again.

“As far as moving to the spot where you want to go, obviously I can’t move as fast as I wanted to,” Collison said. “But I still can do other things. I can still try to control the game as much as I can, making sure we get guys in their right spots, calling plays and occasionally playing defense whenever I can.”

Etc.

Paul, who is from North Carolina, joined the Clippers to watch practice in Charlotte on Tuesday. . . . Coach Doc Rivers flew to Orlando to watch his son Spencer Rivers play in a high school basketball game. He will join the Clippers in time for Wednesday morning’s shoot-around here.

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter:@BA_Turner