Griffin’s skill set increasing
Most NBA fans know Blake Griffin, resident dunk-monster of Lob City. His one-handed jams have been fodder for highlight reels since his pro career began five years ago.
This playoff season, Griffin is showing a new level of production.
His gaudy numbers are proving he’s more than merely a dunker; he has matured into a multifaceted player in a city long dominated by Kobe Bryant, whose Lakers are nowhere to be found in the postseason.
Griffin has three tripledoubles, with two against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, including 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a victorious Game 7. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson with at least three in the first eight games of the postseason.
Griffin is the conduit through which everything flows for the Clippers, who find themselves tied 3-3 in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Rockets after building a 3-1 lead.
Game 7 is Sunday in Houston, with the Clippers trying to reach the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.
Griffin is averaging 25.4 points in the playoffs, sixth best in the league, with his 13 games the most among any player in the top 10. His 12.8 rebounds are a playoff best. He’s shooting 51 percent from the floor, 72 percent from the line and logging 39.5 minutes a game. Irving not practicing: All-Star guard Kyrie Irving has stayed off the practice court to rest his injured knee as the Cavaliers began preparing for the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta.
Irving sat out nearly three quarters of Game 6 in Chicago on Thursday night after aggravating tendinitis in his left knee. Irving was seen by team doctors Friday and on Saturday, head coach David Blatt says he’s hopeful his starting point guard will play in Wednesday’s Game 1 in Atlanta.
Irving isn’t the only Cleveland player hurting. LeBron James played on a sprained left ankle, Iman Shumpert has a strained groin and forward Tristan Thompson has a bruised shoulder after a scary fall against the Bulls. The Cavs are already without forward Kevin Love, who dislocated his shoulder in the opening round.