SAN ANTONIO -- Clippers forward Blake Griffin said that he will play in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs despite his sprained left knee not being healthy.
When told that Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro had said during his interview session with the media after practice Monday that Griffin would be a game-time decision, the All-Star power forward smiled and gave an emphatic answer.
“Yeah, there’s no doubt,” Griffin said of playing against the Spurs. “Yeah, I will be playing tomorrow.”
Griffin, who was injured in the third quarter of Game 5 of the first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, said the knee is not 100% healthy and that it is true that he would sit out two weeks to rest the injury if it was the regular season.
“I’m feeling about 80[%],” Griffin said. “Hopefully more than that, but realistically about that….My knee hasn’t gotten worse so that’s the encouraging thing.”
Griffin played just 28 minutes, 17 seconds in Game 7 on Sunday against Memphis.
He had Sunday and Monday to rest and get treatment on the knee.
“I feel better than yesterday,” Griffin said. “Just rest is what’s going to get us there.”
--Broderick Turner
