While Derrick Rose is catching flack for not suiting up, everyone else involved in the NBA Playoffs is banged up. And Zach Randolph doesn’t want to hear any complaining from Blake Griffin, in particular. When asked by ESPN about Quake’s high right ankle sprain, Z-Bo blew up: “Banged up? 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.”
He continued: “Last year when I played in the playoffs, I wasn’t 100 percent, but I was out there, so I had to be 100 percent. It’s the playoffs. It’s a big-boy game.”
There’s a history here with these two, dating back to the last time the Clippers and Grizzlies met in the first round of the playoffs. They’ve probably already set a record during this series for most double fouls. (A direct result of that bad blood… remember when the NBA condoned intensity? Now they look to always squash it.) And come Game 6, there’s a good chance this matchup determines which team gets the W.
After suffering the ankle injury during practice, Griffin scored only four points in 25 minutes during Game 5, and left for good halfway through the third quarter. He’s a game-time decision for the pivotal Game 6 in Memphis. Z-Bo actually rolled his own problematic ankle during Game 2 of this series when he got tangled up with Griffin underneath the hoop.
What do you think of the back-n-forth between Z-Bo and Griffin?
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