Is star power forward Blake Griffin’s relationship with model Kendall Jenner starting to become a distraction for the Los Angeles Clippers? Amid their nine-game losing streak, Griffin still managed to hit the club with Jenner until 3 a.m. According to celebrity website TMZ, Griffin and Jenner were spotted leaving Up & Down nightclub in Manhattan, hours after the Clippers suffered a 105-87 shellacking at the hands of the New York Knicks on Monday. Earlier, Jenner was spotted at the Knicks-Clippers game at Madison Square Garden. Against the Knicks, Griffin scored 21 points, but struggled from the floor, making just 6-of-18 shots in 33 minutes of play.
Griffin and Jenner started dating two months ago. Griffin’s high-profile relationship with Jenner could be blamed for the Clippers’ misery this season.
The Clippers started the season with a 4-0 record, making them one of the early season favorites. However, the Clippers lost 11 of their last 12 games to drop to 5-11. With the trade of Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets, the Clippers have turned to Griffin as their new leader. In the summer, Griffin signed a five-year deal worth $173 million. This season, Griffin is averaging 22.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 16 games.
Knicks rout Clippers
In their loss to the Knicks, Wesley Johnson added 13 points while big men DeAndre Jordan and Willie Reed added 10 points each for the Clippers, who shot a miserable 30-of-80 from the field and committed 21 turnovers.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points on 7-of-20 shooting on top of seven boards and two blocks as the Knicks improved to 9-7. Doug McDermott added 16 points off the bench while starters Tim Hardaway Jr., Enes Kanter, Jarrett Jack, and Courtney Lee added 13, 12, 11, and 10, respectively for the Knicks, who made 35-of-81 attempts for a 43.2 percent clip from the field.
Clippers guard out indefinitely
There seems to be no end to the Clippers’ injury woes. Now, the Clippers will play without starting point guard Patrick Beverley in the next few months. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Beverley underwent surgery on his right knee on Wednesday and could be out for a significant amount of time.
The Clippers, for their part, have not provided a timetable for Beverley’s return. After missing five straight games with a sore right knee, Beverley played 22 minutes against the Knicks. Beverley is averaging 12.9 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds for the Clippers this season. He was among several players acquired by the Clippers from the Rockets in the Paul trade.
