NBA News 2015: Griffin Ejected In Clippers' Game Against Chicago, Irving Preparing For Return With Cavaliers
Los Angeles Clippers big man Blake Griffin was ejected during their game against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, on the other hand, is ready to make a comeback with the team.
According to a report by Yahoo! Sports, Griffin bit into the pump fake of forward Taj Gibson past the midway point of the third period, which resulted him being "airborne and in a bad spot." On his way down, Griffin's forearm accidentally struck Gibson on the face and forehead, sending the latter immediately to the ground. Griffin did apologize and helped Gibson back to his feet.
But according to the game officials who reviewed the video replays, Griffin's actions were deemed "unnecessary and excessive" forcing him out of the game.
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Before his ejection, Griffin was able to put in 18 points, 11 rebounds two assists, and two blocks. The Bulls ended up winning the game with a score of 83-80.
At the Clippers' game on Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets, Griffin scored 21 points and the Clippers won 105-100.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving has returned to practice with his team, since injuring his left kneecap in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
In a Dec. 10 report on NBA.com, head coach David Blatt had confirmed that Irving, along with starting guard Iman Shumpert, would be traveling with the team again and may be playing either Friday against Orlando or Tuesday against Boston. The report added that both players had already attended their third full practice session on Thursday. According to Blatt, whether or not Irving or Shumpert will get to play will all depend on their physical conditions in the coming days.
"There's a chance that one of the two or both will play on the trip, but there's also a chance they don't," Blatt said, according to the report. "We'll see how they're feeling."
"We're in December," he added. "Not a normal situation. Both of them are coming back from pretty serious injuries, but they are progressing."
In Friday's game against Orlando, Shumpert was able to play. He put up 14 points and had three rebounds. He played for about 24 minutes.
Irving, on the other hand, was not able to play in this game but there's a chance that he will be able to play on Tuesday's game against Boston. That all depends on his condition on that day and if he's up to playing.
