LOS ANGELES — There was a reason Blake Griffin appeared unusually buoyant as he milled about the Los Angeles Clippers’ practice facility Saturday morning. He was preparing to get back onto the court with his teammates.
Griffin was cleared to practice, meaning his return from the quadriceps and hand injuries that have sidelined him for more than three months could come within a week or so.
The star power forward must also serve a four-game suspension for punching team assistant equipment manager Matias Testi, an altercation that resulted in Griffin’s broken right hand. The suspension won’t start until Griffin and the Clippers feel he is ready to play in a game and place him on their active list.
That could come as soon as Sunday, when the Clippers play the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center. If Griffin were activated and began his suspension then, he could play in seven games before the Clippers open the playoffs.
The NBA will not independently verify that Griffin can play, but if it has any concerns, the league can step in and have him examined by a doctor of its choosing.
The final hurdle in Griffin’s being cleared to practice was his partially torn quadriceps tendon, which had sidelined him since the Clippers’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. The quad healed more slowly than Griffin’s hand, forcing Griffin to briefly scale back his workouts earlier this month.
The Clippers were slated to hold only a light practice Saturday, and it was not clear whether they would need to see Griffin participate in a more rigorous scrimmage before activating him.
“I don’t know if one practice is enough to activate him,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said. We’ve got to activate him when we think he’s ready to play.”
Griffin was in the midst of possibly his best season before being injured, averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists while making 50.8 percent of his shots. The Clippers have gone 27-14 since Griffin last played.
But their wait for his return isn’t over. Rivers said he wouldn’t get excited until he heard a public-address announcer proclaim, “And at power forward … ”
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