Zach Randolph isn't feeling sorry for Clippers forward Blake Griffin, who is dealing with an ankle sprain from Monday's practice.
Zach Randolph on Blake Griffin’s injury: ‘I’m banged up,’ too
Memphis Grizzlies big man Zach Randolph doesn’t exactly see the issue with Blake Griffin’s bum ankle.
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sport
The Memphis big man, at the very least, wasn’t making a big deal out of Griffin’s injury and how the ankle might limit Los Angeles’ fellow All-Star forward. Randolph told ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz that it’s a “big-boy game,” so why should it matter?
“Banged up?” Randolph said of Griffin. “I’m banged up. You forgot about my ankle? Banged up. My ankle is as big as a balloon. Talk to the trainers. I’m getting treatment every day. It’s the playoffs.”
Randolph mildly sprained his left ankle in Game 2 of the series but hasn’t missed time. He also sprained the ankle two months ago in a March 1 game. Meanwhile, Griffin remains listed as day-to-day heading into a Game 6. His high ankle sprain limited him to 20 minutes in Game 5, a 112-91 loss for the Clippers. The Los Angeles forward put in four points on 2-for-7 shooting. He also had five rebounds and two turnovers but clearly struggled to get up and down the floor.
Memphis point guard Mike Conley backed Randolph's downplaying of Griffin's injury, although with less Zach-Randolph-like flair. The point guard said he expected Griffin to be able to compete, and that it'd be foolish to "treat him differently." Conley also admitted to Arnovitz that teams do attack opponent injuries -- not to the extent of the accusations of the Golden State and Denver series.
“Teams do put you in more schemes, more pick-and-rolls, try to wear you down a little bit more knowing that you’re banged up here and there, but [the Clippers] have played through injuries just like any other team has played through injuries,” Conley said.
For the series, Griffin is averaging 14 points and six rebounds per game, but his shooting average is nearly 10 percent below his regular season average of 54 percent.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
