Clippers, Rockets have explaining to do
League investigating teams’ late-game, postgame incidents
The NBA has spoken to Clippers star Blake Griffin as well as other players from the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles as part of its investigation into lategame and postgame incidents involving the teams.
Griffin confirmed Tuesday that he had been contacted by league officials.
“I’ve spoken to them,” he said after attending a L.A. Clippers Foundation event at an elementary school. “I’m sure they’ve talked to everybody by now. We’ll see what they come up with.”
Tempers boiled over Monday night late in the Clippers’ 113-102 victory , to the point where several security guards were needed outside the Houston locker room afterward.
“I wouldn’t call it pretty crazy,” Griffin said. “In this day and age everything kind of gets blown a little bit out of proportion.”
Citing anonymous NBA sources, ESPN reported several Rockets players headed toward the Clippers’ locker room afterward, seeking a confrontation, but were escorted away by security before anything got physical.
“We were exactly where we were supposed to be. All our guys were in the locker room talking,” Griffin said Tuesday. “We were doing the right thing.”
There were incidents as well in the closing minutes of Chris Paul’s first game against the Clippers at Staples Center since he was traded to the Rockets last summer. Griffin appeared to bump Houston coach Mike D’Antoni, and they exchanged words. Griffin and Houston’s Trevor Ariza were later ejected after another incident.
FORMER WARRIOR JO JO WHITE DIES >> Basketball Hall of Famer Jo Jo White, a two-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and an Olympic gold medalist, has died. He was 71. No cause was provided.
White played 10 seasons for Boston, which drafted him ninth overall from Kansas in 1969.
He averaged 17.2 points per game over 13 years, also playing for the Warriors and the Kansas City Kings before retiring in 1981.
White, MVP of the 1976 NBA Finals, was traded to the Warriors midway through the 1978-79 season and he remained with Golden State through the following season. PELICANS 116, CELTICS 113, OT>> Anthony Davis had 45 points and 16 rebounds to help end Boston’s sevengame winning streak.
DeMarcus Cousins added 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday scored 23 points. The trio combined for all 12 Pelicans points in OT.
TRAIL BLAZERS 118, SUNS 111 >> Damian Lillard scored 31 points and CJ McCollum had 27 points, including six 3-pointers to help lead Portland.
Devin Booker had 43 for the Suns, who have lost three straight and five of their last six.
NUGGETS 105, MAVERICKS 102 >> Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds, Gary Harris hit two late free throws Denver held on after nearly blowing a 23-point lead.
MAGIC 108, TIMBERWOLVES 102 >> Evan Fournier scored a season-high 32 points to help Orlando break a sevengame losing streak. A loss would have dropped Orlando (13-31) to the worst record in the NBA.