The Los Angeles Clippers will have to endure four to six weeks without star forward Blake Griffin, who was confirmed to have suffered a broken bone in his right hand after getting in to an altercation with a member of the team's staff.
ESPN reported Griffin's time off and also cited sources who narrated how he was involved in a fight with Clippers assistant equipment manager Matias Testi, which led to the injury.
According to the report, the incident happened at a restaurant in Toronto, following a Clippers road game versus the Toronto Raptors last Sunday which they lost, 112–94.
Michael Eaves of ESPN reported that according to sources, the two argued at the restaurant and Griffin punched Testi.
After the first hit, Testi went out of the restaurant and Griffin followed him and again threw a punch.
The report also mentioned that Griffin and Testi, who were close friends, were sent home after what happened.
On Tuesday, Griffin said in a post on Twitter that he regrets what he did and apologized to the Clippers organization, his teammates, and the fans. Griffin added that he is already working with the team to resolve the issue and get back on the court as soon as possible.
Before the hand injury, Griffin was already out of action for the team since suffering a quadriceps injury during their Christmas Day game versus the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, Lob City must wait longer before the 26-year-old forward can again see action, with the injury also likely to sideline him during the All-Star Weekend.
The Clippers and head coach Doc Rivers already denounced the incident involving Griffin and Testi.
Even though Griffin is out for some time now, the Clippers just improved to 12–3 without him after beating the Indiana Pacers on the road Tuesday.
The Clippers are fourth in the Western Conference standings with a 29–16 record, trailing the league-leading Golden State Warriors (41–4), San Antonio Spurs (38–7), and the Oklahoma City Thunder (34–13).
