NBA: Clippers’ Griffin cleared to play, starts serving ban

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 — The Los Angeles Clippers said Sunday that power forward Blake Griffin has been medically cleared to play and will begin serving his four-game suspension as of the night’s NBA game against Denver.

Griffin has missed the past 41 games with a partially torn left quadriceps tendon and a broken right hand suffered in January when he punched Clippers equipment staffer Matias Testi.

READ: NBA: Clippers’s Griffin returns to practice | Clippers continue to roll minus Griffin, blow out Bulls

The team banned him four games for that incident, but the punishment didn’t kick in while he was sidelined by injury.

Griffin, who is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 30 games this season, will return to action on Sunday, April 3 against the Washington Wizards, the Clippers said.

Coach Doc Rivers said Saturday when Griffin returned to practice that his key aim was to have the player back in time for the post-season.

“I don’t care if it’s zero (regular-season games), to be honest, now, as long as he’s playing to start the playoffs,” Rivers said. “Is that an ideal way of going into a playoff series? No, but I’d rather have him than not.”