NBA: Clippers woe as Griffin hurt in punching incident
Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin wrestles for possession of the ball with Detroit Pistons’ Ersan Ilyasova in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. AP
LOS ANGELES, United States — Los Angeles Clippers all-star forward Blake Griffin faces another lay-off after suffering a fractured hand during a fight, the team confirmed Tuesday.
Griffin is reported to have suffered the injury after throwing a punch at a member of the Clippers equipment stuff in Toronto last weekend.
READ: NBA: Quadriceps injury sidelines Clippers’ Griffin
A team statement released later Tuesday confirmed Griffin’s injury and said an investigation into the circumstances of the incident was under way.
“LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin suffered a spiral fracture of the fourth metacarpal in his right hand throwing a punch on Jan. 23 in Toronto,” the Clippers said.
“This conduct has no place in our organization and this incident does not represent who we are as a team.
“We are conducting a full investigation with assistance from the NBA. At the conclusion of the investigation, appropriate action will be taken.”
Griffin has not played since suffering a torn quadriceps tendon in late December.
The injury means Griffin now faces a further absence of several weeks, possibly ruling him out of next month’s all-star game.
It is not the first time Griffin has found himself in hot water over a physical altercation.
In 2014 he was accused of slapping a man at a Las Vegas nightclub who had taken a picture of him with a cellphone.
He was accused of misdemeanor battery but the charges were eventually dropped by Nevada prosecutors.
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