A tough stretch is ahead for the Los Angeles Clippers as they play for the next two weeks without All-Star forward Blake Griffin who suffered a partially torn left quadriceps tendon.
ESPN reported that Griffin sustained the injury in the first quarter of the Clippers' 94–84 Christmas Day win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Griffin still finished the game though, tallying a double-double 13 points and 12 boards that came along with seven assists, one steal, and one block.
The next day after the win, Griffin had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that revealed the injury and will undergo re-evaluation after two weeks, ESPN also reported.
If the timeline will allow the 26-year-old to heal and recover, the earliest possible time for his return may be on Jan. 9, 2016 when the Clippers begin a five-game home stand versus the Charlotte Hornets.
The absence of Griffin is huge for the Clippers, which is a team struggling to meet expectations this season.
In 30 regular season games played, Griffin is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and five assists in 34.9 minutes played per outing.
Griffin already missed his first game when the Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz 109–104 last Saturday to continue a five-game road trip.
Starting in place of Griffin was veteran forward Josh Smith who only had two rebounds in five minutes played.
Besides Smith, other forwards whom head coach Doc Rivers can use to fill in for Griffin in upcoming games are Lance Stephenson, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Wesley Johnson.
The Clippers are currently fourth in the Western Conference standings with an 18–13 record and are also on a two game-winning streak.
The said streak will be tested as they play the next three games of their five-game road trip, taking on the Washington Wizards, Hornets, and the New Orleans Pelicans to close the year.
