Clippers lose Livingston

In a potentially devastating blow to the Clippers’ bid for a playoff berth, point guard Shaun Livingston suffered a season-ending knee injury Monday night in the team’s 100-93 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats in front of 18,442 at Staples Center.

Livingston dislocated his left knee while landing awkwardly after going for a layup on a fastbreak early in the first quarter. He was sidelined 52 games in his rookie season because of a dislocated right kneecap, and the injury he suffered Monday is considered more severe, a team physician said.

The Clippers braced for playing their final 26 games without Livingston.

“The second I saw it I knew he was done,” said Cuttino Mobley, who dropped to one knee and prayed while Livingston was wheeled off the court on a stretcher. “When I saw his knee ... I was just messed up.”

Said Coach Mike Dunleavy: “You could see that he was in tremendous pain. It was just a really, really tough night.”

X-rays taken at Staples Center were negative, the Clippers said. Livingston was taken by ambulance to Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center in Inglewood, where he was scheduled to undergo further tests late Monday and today.

Corey Maggette scored 25 points for the Clippers (27-29), who won their second consecutive game. Forward Gerald Wallace had 20 points for the Bobcats (22-35).

Livingston, who had a career-high 14 assists in Saturday’s victory over the Golden State Warriors, was considered among the keys to the team’s effort to make a strong run down the stretch in the regular season. Now, the Clippers must move on without their young floor leader.

“It’s really disheartening,” said Elton Brand, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds. “You worry about his career and his health first of all. You also worry because of what he means to the team.

“He was coming off one of his best games. I don’t know how we’re going to compensate for losing him. I think he was on his way.”

The injury occurred with 8 minutes 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Mobley stole the ball from guard Derek Anderson and tipped it ahead to Livingston, who raced to the basket with a defender in pursuit.

Livingston rushed the shot and was off-balance when he landed. Team physician Steven Shimoyama, trainer Jasen Powell and paramedics quickly attended to Livingston, and play was suspended at the 8:10 mark of the quarter.

With the third-year player in obvious pain, Shimoyama popped Livingston’s knee back into place in a process known as reduction.

“It popped into place on the first try,” said Shimoyama, an orthopedic surgeon who has worked with the Clippers for seven years. “It alleviated nearly all of the pain. When he dislocated it, he was in a lot of pain.”

Shimoyama said that further tests were needed to determine whether Livingston had torn arteries in his leg.

An arteriogram exam, in which dye is injected into the knee, would reveal tears, Shimoyama said. Livingston was supposed to have that test Monday and then undergo an MRI exam, probably today.

“Knee dislocations are famous for causing damage to circulation,” Shimoyama said. “On our preliminary inspection it did not appear he had damage, but you need to do an arteriogram to make sure.”

Although only 21, Livingston has been hampered by injuries throughout his career, and his teammates said they would be there for him again during his recovery.

“He was worried about us winning the game and not about himself,” Maggette said. “It just shows the character of the person.”

jason.reid@latimes.com