The Basketball Gods will just not leave the Clippers alone.
Blake Griffin left Saturday’s matinée with the Golden State Warriors after taking an inadvertent elbow to the head from JaVale McGee. There were less than three minutes to go in the first quarter, after receiving a pass in the right corner Griffin pump faked a three that sent Draymond Green flying by, then drove the lane and tried to create space cutting out under the basket. As he did, his face and McGee’s elbow met.
Griffin instantly went to the ground instantly. The play continued at the other end for a Warriors possession before someone noticed and play was halted.
Griffin went directly to the locker room and soon after was ruled out with a concussion.
He did not return to the game and likely will miss more time. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he talked to Griffin at halftime and “he was struggling.” Now Griffin enters the league’s concussion protocol, where he will be out until he passes a series of physical tests without symptoms and is cleared by a league doctor. How long that will be is nearly impossible to predict, but it would be a big surprise to see Griffin play in the Clippers next game Monday.
Griffin recently missed 13 games due to a knee injury, the Clippers went 5-8 during that stretch in part due to Lou Williams stepping up his game. The Clippers entered Saturday’s game against the Warriors as the nine seed in the West, two games back of the Pelicans for the final playoff slot in the West. At the half, the Warriors led 64-55.
