Blake Griffin will be out for the remainder of the postseason with an ‘injury to the plantar plate on his right big toe’. The Los Angeles Clippers power forward was injured in the team’s game three win over the Utah Jazz, missing the entirety of the second half after what was initially diagnosed as a bruised toe. X-Rays during the game came back negative.
Following from Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Clippers to announce that Blake Griffin out rest of playoffs with injury to plantar plate on his right big toe.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) April 22, 2017
The injury happened late in the second quarter.
Griffin had had a great start to this playoff campaign. In two full games, the big man had averaged 25 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 48 percent from the field and 60 percent from three.
Griffin’s injury is clearly a huge blow to the Clippers who now face a 2-1 deficit in the series and have lost home-court advantage to the Jazz. On a team bereft of many playmakers, Griffin’s ball-handling and passing from the power forward position is immensely valuable to the Clippers.
Griffin is a free agent this summer. With the Clippers’ relative lack of success in the postseason and a potential first-round exit this year, it’s fair to wonder if we have watched the last of Griffin in a LAC uniform.
For now, the Clippers will hold on to the hope that they can win this series without Griffin, a tall task but one that is possible as the Jazz are missing their star big man as well.
