Chris Paul suffers nasal fracture, will wear a protective mask

Chris Paul warmed up for Sunday’s game against Golden State with a very familiar accessory.

A Kobe mask.

Paul was hit in the face during the first quarter of Friday’s game against San Antonio.

A Clippers spokesman said that Paul received an X-ray on Saturday and it revealed that Paul had sustained a nasal fracture. He added that Paul will be wearing the mask for a few weeks.

Paul apparently sustained the injury in the first half when he was elbowed by Spurs swingman Danny Green.

“It’s annoying and he plays point guard, so I don’t know how he’s going to do it,” said Kenyon Martin, who has needed to wear a mask before. “Trust me, I don’t know how he’s going to go out there and manuever with that thing on”

Martin said that he hasn’t yet seen Paul wear the mask.

“He’s not exempt from getting teased,” Martin said with a smile. “He’s on deck.”

Good luck to Martin.

While Paul was shooting around, someone who was rebounding for the All-Star point guard made fun of the clear protective mask.

Paul then jokingly tossed the ball at him.

The mask, however, might be a good luck charm.

Look at Kobe Bryant, who has worn a face mask since suffering a broken nose and a concussion during the All-Star game. The Lakers superstar scored at least 30 points in his first three games with the protective device.