NBA: Injury Rules Blake Griffin Out Indefinitely

The Los Angeles Clippers will have to find a way to stay competitive in the incredibly tough Western Conference without their best player. All-Star forward Blake Griffin will undergo surgery on his elbow Monday to remove a staph infection. He's out indefinitely but will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break. From the Clippers:

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that All-Star forward Blake Griffin will undergo surgery in Los Angeles on Monday, Feb. 9 to remove a staph infection in his right elbow. Griffin will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break.

NBA: Blake Griffin Wants To Retaliate Fouls!!!

Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker fouled Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin hard on the break during the third quarter of Friday's preseason game. Griffin did not appreciate it, and the two exchanged words. Then things got a bit out of hand:

Yeah, Griffin grabbing Booker's head wasn't the best move. But neither was the initial foul, especially given that it's an exhibition game. Booker was assessed a flagrant-1, and both of them were also given technicals. Chris Paul got a tech, too -- I'm not sure if that one will hold up, but I guess he briefly shoved Booker away.

CLIPPERS 122 THUNDER 105: Chris Paul's 32 points lead Clippers in Game 1 Rout Of Thunder

Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers showed what they can do when their minds are on basketball. Paul made a career-high eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points to help the Clippers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-105 Monday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal.

The Clippers acknowledged that the racial comments by owner Donald Sterling that got him permanently banned from the league were a distraction during their first-round series against Golden State. Once they put the initial shock behind them, they beat the Warriors and carried their momentum into Game 1 against the Thunder. Los Angeles shot 55 percent from the field and made 15 of 29 3-point attempts. Paul, who had never made more than five 3-pointers in a game, also had 10 assists.

"When somebody's got it going like that, you just try to stay out of the way as much as possible, but also help keep that fire going," Clippers forward Blake Griffin said.

BASKETBALL: Clippers owner Donald Sterling Banned For Life & Fined $2.5m For Racism

The NBA has banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling from professional basketball for life and fined him $2.5 million in an unprecedented rebuke for racist comments that drew outrage from players, fans, commercial sponsors and even US President Barack Obama.

Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, looks on as his team plays against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center

Sterling, 80, the longest-tenured owner of any of the 30 National Basketball Association teams, will be barred from any role in the operations of his franchise or from serving as one of the league's governors, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told a news conference in New York.