Los Angeles Clippers News: Blake Griffin Suffers Hand Injury In ‘Team-Related’ Incident

Los Angeles Clippers’ power forward Blake Griffin has reportedly suffered a “suspected” broken hand in an “undisclosed team-related incident” as he recovers from a quadriceps injury, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

ESPN sources tell @ramonashelburne and I that Blake Griffin has suffered suspected broken hand in undisclosed team-related incident

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) January 26, 2016

Stein and Shelburne reported earlier that Griffin had left the Clippers’ current road trip due to a hand injury that is unrelated to his current quad ailment. The soon-to-be 27-year-old Griffin has been out of the Clippers’ starting lineup since December 26, 2015, due to the quad injury.

Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers told Robert Morales of Los Angeles Daily News over two weeks ago that Griffin had not tested his injured quad outside of running on a treadmill.

“He has yet to run, I mean, like really run. I think he’s going to start doing that, hopefully, soon. Once he runs, how does he feel? Is there a setback? These things, they have their own little way of healing.”

Griffin has been relegated to being a spectator for the last several weeks. Per the Los Angeles Times, the five-time All-Star was not going to see any action in the team’s upcoming games against the Indiana Pacers (Tuesday) and Atlanta Hawks (Wednesday). Prior to that report, Griffin indicated to Ben Bolch of the LA Times that he was hoping to return during the team’s five-game road trip.

Blake Griffin said he hopes to return on Clippers’ five-game trip.

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) January 15, 2016

The Clippers’ Friday night matchup against the crosscourt rival Los Angeles Lakers was seen as a potential return date for Griffin before this latest injury.

Since losing Griffin to the injury, the Clippers have won 11 of 14 games, but the record doesn’t tell the entire story. As Stein mentions, just two of the Clippers’ 11 victories during that time have come against teams with records of.500 or better.

“I mean, we’re winning games, it’s all good and well,” Clippers point guard Chris Paul told the LA Times after the team’s 116-88 victory over the New York Knicks last Friday. “But we won’t see what our team is made of until Blake gets back.”

While the record of 11-3 over the last few weeks is impressive, the Clippers have definitely missed Griffin’s presence. Before the injury, he was enjoying another characteristically outstanding season for a Clippers team that currently occupies fourth place in the Western Conference with a 28-16 (.636) record.

Through 30 games in Los Angeles, Griffin is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting nearly 51 percent from the floor. While Griffin’s rebounding totals have not been in double digits since the 2011-12 season, he’s still been a tremendously efficient player.

With the All-Star break approaching in mid-February, the Clippers will likely be cautious with Griffin as he rehabs from not one, but two injuries. However, the more intriguing part of this development is the nature of Griffin’s new injury, which is described as a “team-related incident.” Griffin does not have a history of getting into physical altercations with teammates.

We’ll pass along more information of Griffin’s latest injury, timetable to return, and more once it becomes available.

[Featured Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]