Clippers suspend Griffin four games for punching incident

Griffin will also be docked in pay in an additional game as a result of the injuries he sustained in the incident.

In a joint statement, team owner Steve Ballmer and head coach Doc Rivers said there was no place for Griffin’s behaviour, but added that they were looking forward to welcoming the superstar back and moving on from the incident.

The Clippers will donate Griffin’s salary from the five games to charities that help disadvantaged youth in Los Angeles.

“We have made it clear that this conduct has no place in the Clippers organization”, the team said in a statement.

Griffin underwent surgery last month to fix his hand, which was injured when he attacked a team equipment manager in a fight outside a Toronto restaurant.

We hear teams like the Nuggets & 76ers show interest in the All Star PF, but the Clippers decline any thought of letting go Blake to an other team. At his request, Blake will support this activity with his time. Griffin has had two procedures done on his hand since suffering the injury, while Los Angeles has gone 18-4 in his absence, which dates back to December because he was out with a quadriceps injury at the time of the altercation. He and Testi are friends and Griffin described him as “someone I care about”.

The Clippers can take solace in knowing that Griffin should be well rested and ready for the stretch run if and when he returns, but they now face a hard challenge when it comes to sustaining their spot in the standings without one of the NBA’s best big men.

“It’s not like we have a lot of choice in the matter – you lose Blake, you’re going to get smaller”, Rivers said Tuesday.

Griffin, on the other hand, is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks, through 34.9 minutes of playing time per game.