Clippers face Nuggets on day Griffin has knee 'scoped (Dec 20, 2016)
LOS ANGELES -- With Blake Griffin hurt again, the Los Angeles Clippers will try to absorb his absence as they begin a three-game homestand Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets.
Griffin is scheduled to undergo a minor arthroscopic procedure on Tuesday to remove loose bodies in his right knee. Griffin, who has been hurting for several games, is expected to be out three to six weeks.
The five-time All-Star leads the team in scoring at 21.2 points per game. He also is collecting an average of 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
It is the second consecutive season injuries are sidelining Griffin. Last season, he sat out 45 games with a quad ailment and a broken hand, the latter of which was sustained during an altercation with a team trainer. He aggravated the quad again in last season's playoffs when the Clippers were eliminated in the opening round by the Portland Trail Blazers.
Griffin scored 26 points in the Clippers' 117-110 loss to the Washington Wizards on Sunday. He also had seven rebounds and seven assists. However, after the game, a decision was made for him to have surgery.
Griffin's loss occurs at a time when the Clippers aren't playing their best. The defeat at Washington left Los Angeles (20-8) with a 6-6 mark since roaring out of the gate with a 14-2 record. The Wizards shot 80 percent from the floor in a decisive fourth quarter to snap the Clippers' four-game winning streak.
Before winning four straight, the Clippers dropped five of seven contests. Defense, which had been one of the team's hallmarks early on, is failing the Clippers.
"I think us as a team, we've got to talk about it because we've lost confidence in our defense," point guard Chris Paul, who had 13 points and 12 assists against the Wizards, told the Los Angeles Times. "And I think a lot of that starts with me, being on the ball. But no way should we have lost this game."
The Nuggets (12-16) are coming off a 117-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Nikola Jokic tied a career high with 27 points to go with 14 rebounds and nine assists as the Nuggets claimed their third consecutive victory.
Jokic's near triple-double came a week after he scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the 20-point loss in Dallas. A missed 3-pointer by point guard Emmanuel Mudiay in the final minute kept Jokic from reaching 10 assists Monday.
"It doesn't really matter," Jokic said of falling short of the triple-double. "The game is more important than your name."
An abundance of offense is the name of the game for the Nuggets. They are averaging 125.3 points during their streak. For the season, Denver is scoring 107.4 points per contest, which ranks seventh in the NBA. However, the Nuggets are allowing 109.4 points (26th).
The Clippers are averaging 109.6 points per game, fifth best in the league. On defense, Los Angeles is giving up 101.6 points. Although that ranks eighth, those numbers have risen from the hot start when the Clippers were frequently holding opponents under 100 points per game.
The Clippers won five of their past six meetings with the Nuggets.
