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Clippers Griffin opts for more rest
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Los Angeles Clippers All-Star forward Blake Griffin did not play Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves and is likely to remain idle all week to rest his ailing back for the playoffs.
Griffin was hurt in Saturday’s game against the Houston Rockets. He felt back spasms strong enough that he removed himself from the game. He had been dealing with back spasms for 10 days.
Griffin decided to rest again Tuesday, when the Clippers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night and is leaning toward sitting Wednesday night.
With seven regular-season games left before the postseason begins, Griffin is being mindful of priorities.
“This part of the season is important, obviously, as far as (playoff) positioning and everything else,” Griffin said. “The last two years in the playoffs, I’ve been banged up. I haven’t been 100 percent. I don’t want it to be that way this year. So I’m trying to be smart about it and I’m trying to be proactive and not do anything to make it a prolonged, healing process.”
Injuries dogged Griffin late in the past two seasons. He sprained his right ankle prior to the fifth game in the Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013 and was dominated by Zach Randolp.
“Most of the time it’s manageable,” Griffin said. “It felt like Saturday wasn’t really manageable.”
