Chris Paul won't play vs. Rockets after experiencing hamstring fatigue

— -- HOUSTON -- LA Clippers?point guard Chris Paul, who recently returned from a hamstring injury,?is expected to miss Friday's game against the Houston Rockets as a precaution, coach Doc Rivers said.

Paul played in Wednesday's loss at New Orleans, scoring 21 points with six assists. He missed the previous three games, all losses, because of a left hamstring strain.

"It's going to be an issue for a while," Rivers said Friday morning. "We're going to take it very slow, and our plan early on was to limit his minutes, and we did that. We probably won't play him tonight. [There is a] 99.9 percent [chance we] won't play him tonight.

"He may play [Saturday at Oklahoma City]. We're just going to be very cautious with it. He didn't reinjure it or anything like that, but he did feel some fatigue, and that's enough. If it were a playoff game, he would play. But if there's fatigue, then that means to me more rest, and that's the route we're going."

Who replaces Paul in the starting lineup is uncertain. It will be based on whether starting shooting guard J.J. Redick plays against the Rockets. He missed the past two games with a sore left hamstring, but Rivers said he's probable.

"This has been frustrating," Redick said. "I'm going to continue to be smart about it. When I'm ready, I'm ready."

Guards Austin Rivers, Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford have each spent time in the starting lineup recently, because of injuries to Paul and Redick.

The Rockets had some good news on the injury front. Starting point guard Patrick Beverley, who missed Tuesday's game against Dallas with a bruised left quad, will return against the Clippers.