Blake Griffin not happy with performance despite near triple-double in return from injury

Published Mar. 15, 2015 7:41 p.m. ET

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Blake Griffin returned to the Clippers on Sunday, albeit with a white sleeve on his right arm. 

Griffin picked up right where he left off ... and was involved in the biggest play of the game as well. He stole the ball, dribbled up the court, drove the lane and was called for an offensive foul against Trevor Ariza with 12 seconds left. Houston had a one-point lead when Griffin got the call. A Chris Paul shot at the buzzer didn't fall, and Houston won, 100-98.

Griffin nearly had a triple double in his return. He scored 11 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and added eight assists in playing a team-high 41 minutes after being out five weeks. He also committed five of the Clippers' 20 turnovers.

"I didn't think I played well," Griffin said. "I thought I was out of rhythm. Way too many turnovers. I didn't think I played well. I didn't put us in position to win. I've got to be better. There were some unfortunate things that happened down the stretch."

He had two steals -- including the instrumental one in the final minute -- and one blocked shot. 

Asked about the play in which Griffin was called for an offensive foul, Doc Rivers said: "I don't know. Tough call."

Griffin didn't want to comment on the play.

"Nah, if I speak on that, I'll get fined for sure," Griffin said. "You guys saw it. I can't say anything about that without getting fined."

Griffin said his elbow was about 60 percent, and that he realized on Wednesday that he'd be able to play by Sunday.

Still, his outside shot -- and the feel of long jump shots with his right elbow -- isn't quite there yet.

"There's no pain but a free throw feels like I'm at the top of the key," Griffin said. Two (outside) shots I shot were both short, and I felt like I heaved them up there. It's a matter of getting that strength back but also knowing how hard I have to shoot."

Paul was impressed with Griffin's comeback game. 

"Man, after being away that long, he was great," Paul said. "He's still got to figure out rhythm because it's been a while. It's tough coming back Everybody wants you to be that same guy but that takes time."

Griffin wasn't under any minutes restrictions in his first game back. If there were any concerns about his conditioning he erased those in the first half with a team-high 20 minutes. 

"I probably played him too much in the first half," Rivers said. "Then I thought it was maybe fatigue." 

Griffin, who missed 15 games after right elbow surgery to remove a staph infection, made his first basket after he rebounded his own miss in the first quarter. He was subbed out with 2:52 left in the first quarter and came back early in the second quarter. 

The Clippers played well, going 9-6 without Griffin. That five weeks of rest is sure to help Griffin, whose physical play takes a toll, down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Griffin experienced a little soreness and found enough of a rhythm to almost record a triple double in his first game back.  

"I'm just a little sore, more sore toward the end," Griffin said. "We expected that. It's nothing crazy. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Only thing missing from his return was a Clippers victory. 

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