Blake Griffin hurt in fight with member of team’s equipment staff

ESPN

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin injured his right hand after hitting a member of the team’s equipment staff during an argument, multiple sources told ESPN’s Michael Eaves…

According to the sources, Griffin and the equipment staffer got into an argument in a restaurant during the team’s trip to Toronto. Griffin hit the man, who then left the restaurant and went outside. Griffin followed him outside and hit him again.

Griffin suffered a suspected fracture in his hand in the incident, sources told ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne early Tuesday morning. Sources said the injury is expected to keep Griffin out “a matter of weeks, as opposed to days.”

The equipment staffer’s face was injured, sources told Eaves. Both Griffin and the equipment staffer were sent home after the incident.

Toronto police said they have no record of a police report under Griffin’s name. The restaurant where the incident occurred was crowded, so there are expected to be multiple witnesses to the incident, a source told Shelburne.

Griffin and teammate DeAndre Jordan are good friends with the staffer involved in the incident, according to sources. Griffin, in fact, has vacationed with the staff member.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers said at practice Tuesday morning that the team would issue a statement on the situation before its game against the Pacers on Tuesday night.

A source told Shelburne that the NBA is investigating the incident and Griffin could face league discipline.

L.A. travels to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Wednesday before returning home to square off with the Lakers on Friday at Staples Center.

Griffin, who has been out with a quadriceps injury, originally hoped to return to the lineup during this road trip. The Clippers have gone 11-3 in his absence.

In November 2014, Griffin was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery after allegedly getting into an altercation with a man at a Las Vegas nightclub. According to reports at the time of the incident, Griffin was upset by camera flashes in his face and grabbed the man’s phone. Prosecutors dropped the case in March of last year, saying they couldn’t prove the allegations.