The Clippers still won’t see Blake Griffin on the basketball court anytime soon.
After missing the past 15 games with partially torn quadriceps it was possible Griffin would make his return to the lineup tonight in Indiana against the Pacers. However that has all been put on hold as reports have indicated the Clippers star broke his right hand and was flying back to Los Angeles.
The circumstances though surrounding the cause of the broken hand is what really gets interesting.
According to ESPN’s Michael Eaves, Griffin suffered the broken hand after striking a member of the Clippers’ equipment staff after an argument at a Toronto restaurant spilled out into the street.
#Clippers forward Blake Griffin injured his right hand after hitting a member of the team's equipment staff during an argument in Toronto
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) January 26, 2016
The altercation started in a restaurant. It proceeded outside where Griffin hit the equipment staffer multiple times. #Clippers
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) January 26, 2016
Perhaps this is the guy Griffin punched out in Toronto?
UPDATE: Blake Griffin broke his hand punching a Clippers equipment manager in the face. https://t.co/WtSU9VCgAd pic.twitter.com/oFZZRcATcG
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 26, 2016
Either way, Griffin will probably miss significant time aside from the hand injury, that is if the Clippers or NBA comes down hard on him.
Here’s another update from ESPN by way of Deadspin:
According to the sources, Griffin and the equipment staffer got into an argument in a restaurant during the team’s trip to Toronto. Griffin hit the man, who then left the restaurant and went outside. Griffin followed him outside and hit him again.
Griffin suffered a suspected fracture in his right hand in the incident, sources told ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne early Tuesday morning.
The equipment staffer’s face was injured and he was treated at a local hospital, sources told Eaves. Both Griffin and the equipment staffer were sent home after the incident.
UPDATE: Griffin is expected to miss the next four to six weeks with that fractured right hand. The NBA is also investigating the incident according to ESPN where of which further disciplinary action can be implemented.
