Griffin has 44 points in return against Clippers

Lequate to being the winner because we didn’t do that but it equates to winning. Blake was part of that. Now when you hear our name you don’t think of those bad Clippers before Blake.” TIP-INS

Pistons: Taylor Griffin was on babysitting duty, bringing his younger brother’s son, Ford, to the locker room after the game . ... Drummond had his NBA-leading ninth game of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds . ... Griffin played at Staples on Wednesday night when the Pistons lost to the Lakers 113-100 . ... C Zaza Pachulia (right lower leg contusion) missed his seventh straight game . ... G Ish Smith (right adductor tear) sat out his 19th straight game.

Clippers: They lost their first game against Griffin’s Pistons in Detroit within days of last year’s trade. Griffin had 19 points in that game.

NO LOVE LOST Clippers owner Steve Ballmer waited on the sideline for Griffin to finish his early warmups.

Griffin began walking off court as Ballmer stuck out his right hand to shake. Griffin took off running into the tunnel. Ballmer threw up his hands and walked away.

“As soon as I’m done doing my pregame shooting I make sure there’s a path and I take off running to the locker room and I don’t stop running,” Griffin said afterward. “I don’t change that for anybody.”

Asked if he would have shaken hands with Ballmer, Griffin said, “I’m not here to answer hypothetical questions.” HE SAID IT

“The West is tough every night and when you lose to an East Coast team it hurts even more.” — Rivers.

UP NEXT

Pistons: At Utah on Monday night in the finale of four-game Western swing.

Clippers: Host New Orleans on Monday night.