Clippers PF Blake Griffin to have elbow surgery, out indefinitely

Published Feb. 8, 2015 11:48 a.m. ET

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The Los Angeles Clippers will be without star forward Blake Griffin until after the NBA All-Star break, the team announced Sunday. 

Griffin will have surgery Monday in Los Angeles to treat a staph infection in his right elbow. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache and assisted by Clippers team physician Dr. Steven Shimoyama.

As of now, it's unknown just how long the Clippers will be without Griffin, but we do know that he will miss the next three games, at the very least -- Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Monday against the Dallas Mavericks and Wednesday against the Houston Rockets.

The All-Star power forward is in the midst of the best season of his five-year career, averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists. 

Reserve forward Spencer Hawes will start in place of Griffin in Sunday's contest against the Thunder, leaving Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Hedo Turkoglu and Ekpe Udoh split up the remaining minutes. 

As if this week couldn't get worse for the Clippers, who have lost four of the last five games, one of which was an embarrassing blowout at the hands of the surging Cleveland Cavaliers. Without Griffin and possibly starting two-guard J.J. Redick, who has missed the last three games with back spasms, the Clippers very well could enter the All-Star break on a six-game losing skid.

There is very little room for error right now in the Western Conference playoff race, as the Clippers currently hold a 33-18 record and sit in sixth place, six games ahead of the ninth place New Orleans Pelicans.

It will be interesting to see how the Clippers respond to this injury, both on and off the floor. For a team that has struggled with bench play this season, losing a starter who averages 35.3 minutes per game could be a crushing blow.

Stay tuned.

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