Rockets' Chris Paul ruled out for Friday's reunion game vs. Clippers with sore left adductor

— -- HOUSTON -- Rockets guard Chris Paul has been ruled out of Friday's reunion game against the LA Clippers due to a strained left adductor.

"I think he's day to day, but we're going to be real cautious with it, I'm sure," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Paul, a nine-time All-Star who pushed to be traded from the Clippers to Houston during the summer, has averaged 17.1 points, 9.0 assists and 2.1 steals in 16 games for the 25-5 Rockets.

The injury caused Paul to leave early in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, which snapped Houston's 14-game winning streak. It was the first loss in a Rockets uniform for Paul, who missed a month due to a left knee contusion after playing in the Rockets' season-opening victory over the Golden State Warriors.

D'Antoni said Paul felt a twinge in his adductor after a movement late in the third quarter. Paul tested it at the beginning of the fourth quarter and immediately made the decision to come out of the game.

"He shut it down immediately, which is good," D'Antoni said. "He's smart enough. He could have played on it, but then he would have been out a lot longer. So he should be OK. I don't know what that means, exactly how many days, but right now it's day to day and we'll see what happens."

Valuable reserve forward Luc Mbah a Moute, who also left the Clippers to join the Rockets during the summer, remains out due to a dislocated right shoulder.

Houston starting center Clint Capela has missed two of the previous three games due to a left heel contusion and is listed as doubtful against the Clippers. If Capela can't play, the Rockets will have only six regular rotation players available.

"Where we are and how we've been, we're going to err on the side of caution," D'Antoni said. "We're not going to play guys if they aren't 100 percent. ... We cannot go with anybody not being as healthy as they can but at the same time being ready to go in the spring time. We've got to win games obviously, but not at the expense of later on."