The Clippers lose Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to seasonending injuries.
LOS ANGELES — Blake Griffin is out for the rest of the playoffs after aggravating his left quadriceps tendon, and Chris Paul had right hand surgery Tuesday, leaving the stunned Los Angeles Clippers without their top two players for the remainder of their first-round series against Portland.
The team said Griffin had an MRI that revealed no further structural damage to the quad that he originally injured in a game on Dec. 25. He missed 41 games and an additional four as punishment for punching the team’s assistant equipment manager, returning on April 3. He’s expected to be ready for training camp in September.
“You feel bad for Chris, you feel bad for Blake,” said guard J.J. Redick, who is dealing with his own nagging left heel injury.
Paul had surgery to repair a hand fracture suffered in the third quarter of Monday’s 98-84 loss in Game 4 that allowed Portland to tie the best-of-seven series 2-2. He appeared to catch his hand on Gerald Henderson’s jersey.
“C.P. is a reacher. He probably has the best hands in the league. At that time, it got caught in the wrong place,” coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s amazing how things change for you.”
Griffin averaged 15.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while Paul averaged 23.8 points, 7.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds in the series.
Game 5 is Wednesday at Staples Center.
“We still have home court. No one has won a road game yet in this series,” Rivers said. “Now we have to find a way of winning tomorrow, and that’s as far as we can think right now. My job with the guys is to make sure that they’re ready and focused. It’s easy when you have the injuries we have to think all kinds of other stuff.”
Nowitzki expects 19th year as Mav
Dirk Nowitzki is not retiring and almost certainly will spend a 19th season with the Dallas Mavericks.
The 7-foot German even says he might have to “unretire” from his national team if uncertainty with European basketball leads to a pre-Olympic tournament ending up in Nowitzki’s home country this summer.
In other words, the Dallas star figures he has something left after leading the Mavericks in scoring again, a season after someone else did it for the first time in 15 years.
“Felt great this year,” said Nowitzki, who turns 38 in June and has a player option for the final season of a three-year deal. “Feel like I can still play efficient enough to be there for the team.”
Nowitzki said Tuesday it was “pretty much” crazy talk for coach Rick Carlisle to suggest after a first-round elimination in Oklahoma City that Nowitzki might consider playing elsewhere.
“The only way I would ever leave is if we’re rebuilding and start with five rookies,” Nowitzki said. “As long as we go for it and compete, then I’ll be a Mav.”
Warriors’ Kerr coach of the year
As Steve Kerr tried to cope with the headaches, nausea, pain and other concerning symptoms, there were times he wondered whether he would even come back to coach Golden State this season, whether he even should return to the bench if not 100 percent healthy.
Complications from two back surgeries had sidelined him for the defending champions’ record start, then Kerr made his way into the huddle again on Jan. 22 after a nearly four-month leave of absence. And on Tuesday, he earned NBA Coach of the Year honors for his Warriors’ record 73-win season that topped the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team he played for.
“There were moments I didn’t know if I would get back at all this season,” Kerr said. “I’m really thankful I improved to the point where I could coach. Coaching has actually helped considerably as I’ve continued to heal.”