Inadvertent elbow leaves Blake Griffin shaking on court with concussion

ByCHRIS HAYNES
January 6, 2018, 6:45 PM

— -- LOS ANGELES --? Clippers forward Blake Griffin sustained a concussion late in the first quarter of Saturday's 121-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors and did not return.

With 2:11 remaining in the opening quarter, Griffin drove the baseline and was challenged at the rim by Warriors backup center JaVale McGee, who inadvertently elbowed the Clippers star in the forehead.

Griffin collapsed to the Staples Center floor and grabbed his head while shaking in pain. He stayed there for several minutes before rising to his feet and walking to the locker room under his own power.

"He got hit pretty hard," coach Doc Rivers said after the game. "You can always tell ... when those players stick around, you know it was a hard hit. And then when you see Blake's hand, you knew it was bad."?

Added teammate DeAndre Jordan: "I think Blake's a pretty tough guy. He should be OK. We definitely want to be cautions and do whatever he needs to do to be able to play, but you want him to be healthy as well ... He took a pretty good hit, and we're just hoping that he gets healthy fast."

Griffin is averaging 23.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season. The five-time All-Star missed 14 games already this season because of a sprained MCL.?

Griffin's ailment is yet another injury the Clippers have had to deal with. Austin Rivers (heel), Milos Teodosic (foot), Danilo Gallinari (glute) are all sidelined for the short term, while? Patrick Beverley (knee) is out for the season.

Before the game, Rivers said this is the most injuries he has ever had to endure in a season, something that wasn't lost on him afterward, either.?

"You know what I told them? Golden State is the world champions," Rivers said. "We have 90 points of offense sitting in street clothes. If you played them 10 times, they'll probably win all 10, but you may win one, and I wanted this night to be the one. That's what I told them after the game. But the only way that happens is you have to be willing for Steph Curry to make 45, and you step right back up to him and say make another one. And I thought their offensive assault affected us, and that's the only thing I told them. You back up to no one ever. That was my message after the game. We know we've got all these injures, so you step in and don't back up, and if they're better, then let them be better. But make them be better."