Clippers’ Griffin hurts toe, to miss rest of the playoffs
SALT LAKE CITY — Chris Paul and his Los Angeles Clippers teammates are more concerned with supporting Blake Griffin than worrying about Game 4 against the Utah Jazz.
They will focus on that game later.
Griffin was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs after injuring his big toe during Friday night’s win against the Jazz.
“It’s tough … as much as me and big fella have been together,” Paul said. “You just hate for dumb stuff like this to happen when you know how hard somebody works. Everybody doesn’t get an opportunity to see that. For somebody who’s as dedicated to the process and the training and the working out and all that stuff like that, for something to happen, you hate to see it.
“We’ll worry about the game when it’s that time, but right now it’s about consoling one of the leaders of our team who this means more to him than anything.”
The team announced Saturday that the five-time All-Star was diagnosed with an injury to the plantar plate of his right big toe. Griffin left Game 3 with 3:18 remaining in the second quarter after landing awkwardly following a transition layup. The team said at the time the injury was a bruised toe. X-rays at the arena were negative, but he was reevaluated after the game.
Saturday’s games
GRIZZLIES 110, SPURS 108 OT: In Memphis, Tenn., Marc Gasol hit a 12-foot floater with 0.7 seconds left in overtime, and Memphis beat San Antonio to even up their Western Conference firstround series at 2-2.
The Grizzlies won despite blowing a 10-point lead with 7:38 left in regulation and 23 turnovers that San Antonio turned into 31 points.
Mike Conley set a franchise postseason record with 35 points, and Gasol finished with 16 points after shooting 5 of 12 for the game. He also had 12 rebounds.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in San Antonio.
RAPTORS 87, BUCKS 76: In Milwaukee, DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points, and Toronto Raptors beat the ucks 87-76 in a defensive slugfest to tie their firstround Eastern Conference playoff series at two games apiece.
Tony Snell, former New Mexico Lobo, led Milwaukee with a career playoff high 19 points.
Kyle Lowry had 14 of his 18 points in the second half for the Raptors, who turned up their intensity before a hostile road crowd after getting embarrassed in a 27-point loss to Milwaukee in Game 3.
Toronto’s tested backcourt reverted to its playmaking form, especially the resurgent DeRozan. He was 12 of 22 from the field after missing all eight of his attempts in Game 3.
The Raptors seized home-court advantage back in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Monday at the Air Canada Centre.
HAWKS 116, WIZARDS 98: In Atlanta, Paul Millsap scored 29 points, Dennis Schroder had 27 and Atlanta delivered an early knockout blow, slicing Washington’s lead to 2-1 in the openinground playoff series.
After two tight losses in Washington exposed some bad blood between the teams, Atlanta returned home and built a 25-point lead by late in the first quarter.
The Wizards were essentially a one-man team. John Wall kept up his dazzling play in the series, scoring 29 points, but the point guard got no help from his teammates. The other Washington starters combined to score 30 points on 14-of-45 shooting.
Millsap also had 14 rebounds, while rookie Taurean Prince chipped in with 16 points.
WARRIORS 119, TRAIL BLAZERS 113: In Portland, Ore., Stephen Curry scored 34 points, Klay Thompson added 24 and short-handed Golden State overcame a slow start to take a 3-0 lead in their playoff series against Portland.
The Blazers led by as many as 17 points in the first half, but couldn’t hold off the Warriors, who can clinch the series with a win Monday night in Game 4 at the Moda Center.
Golden State was without Kevin Durant, who was sitting for a second straight game cause of a left calf strain, and coach Steve Kerr stayed back at the team hotel because of illness.
CJ McCollum led the Blazers with 32 points, while Damian Lillard added 31.