HoopsHype.com Rumors

Clippers forward Matt Barnes launched (and made) a three-pointer from the corner, which pulled the Clippers to down three as the Thunder's big lead melted away. Griffin got position on Ibaka, who dropped his hand into the front of Griffin's shorts to drop the All-Star. "I didn't see it to where it was like that flagrant. (Griffin) took (Ibaka's) arm and knocked him down. The dude (is) known for flopping anyway, so that's what it is," Thunder's Kendrick Perkins told USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick after the game. "I was (angry). The (Clippers') reaction after that was kind of like Serge Ibaka against Blake Griffin. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka 

"He ain't going to get the benefit of (the doubt) or what's really happening down there. You ain't seeing all the stuff that other people are doing. Serge ends up getting the bad end of the stick. I didn't like the whole thing — period. I thought it should've been a double foul." USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka 

"He hit my hands away," Ibaka told reporters. "He's strong, so when he grabs you, your jersey or whatever, and you try to defend yourself and rebound. So maybe you can do some move, not to hurt, (but) just to get good position. But then something happens where you get hurt in the paint. It's not anything where I want to try to hurt him. I'm not that kind of person. I just try to play hard, and that's it." USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka 

Thunder coach Scott Brooks on Serge Ibaka flagrant foul "I know at that part, it was a scrum," Brooks said. "They were both physical and battling for position. I haven't taken a look at it yet, but I know Serge is a high character guy. I know they both were playing hard and both of them are competitors. That had no bearing." Sulia

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Scott Brooks, Serge Ibaka 

Griffin said: “I guess it's a chippy game like that every time we play. We're both pretty physical teams with physical bigs. There was a lot of pushing and all that going on down low.” Oklahoman

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka 

Paul and Griffin were no strangers to the rumors as they sat down next to Garnett. "I think people are just talking," Paul said. "At the end of the day, who wouldn't want to have Kevin Garnett on their team? I talk about that guy all day, every day, his intensity to the game and how he plays the game. He's a special player. That's a guy right there that I looked up to for a long time. Me and Chauncey (Billups) are really close and he and Chauncey are really close and everything I know about him is that he's a very loyal guy." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Trade, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Kevin Garnett 

"I love the way he competes as a player," Griffin said. "He's a very, very serious competitor. His level of professionalism is off the charts. Every game, I've heard he's the most intense guy to be around. That's tough to do to play as many games as he's played and still have that level of intensity." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Trade, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Kevin Garnett 

Paul believes the Clippers have a championship team as they are currently assembled and wants to see the current group, which has been healthy for only four games this season, make a title run together. "Everybody knows I love our team and love the position that we're in right now," Paul said. "We've been playing great basketball. Right now I'm focused on who we have and what we're doing because we're not playing bad ... Whatever we have out there, we're going to fight with. We're like brothers. I love our team and we're moving forward." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Trade, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Kevin Garnett 

Bill Oram: Blake Griffin said Clippers roster doesn't necessarily need tweaking; feels it has pieces for title now. Twitter @tribjazz

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin 

The Los Angeles Clippers plan on having forward Blake Griffin and guards Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Jamal Crawford in uniform and playing Friday night against the Miami Heat, a team source said. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, Jamal Crawford 

Dan Woike: According to a team source, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul will not play tonight against Orlando. Twitter @DanWoikeSports

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Injuries 

Blake Griffin was not in the Clippers' lineup against the Washington Wizards on Monday night because of a strained left hamstring. Griffin, who also has a sore left ankle that has been prone to swelling the last couple of weeks, went through warmups but returned to the locker room just before the game started. Griffin is listed as day to day. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Injuries 

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin will get more from his starting nod in the 2013 NBA All-Star Game than a fun weekend in Houston. By earning the vote from the fans, Griffin's contract extension has now qualified for a pay bump via the "5th Year 30% Max Criteria" in the current NBA collective bargaining agreement, translating to an additional $15.7 million for the 23-year-old forward. Griffin agreed to a five-year extension over the offseason. The Clippers chose Griffin as their "designated player," which allowed for the fifth year. Players coming off of rookie contracts are otherwise eligible for four-year deals, but each team gets one designated player. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin 

Jimmy Spencer: I asked Blake Griffin about the Warriors: “They’re a good team, they’re solid, but by no means are we scared or worried about them.” Twitter @JimmypSpencer

Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin 

Crawford is averaging 16.7 points off the bench and has the third-highest true shooting percentage of his career (54.6 percent). The top teams in the league often flirt with putting three members of their team in the All-Star Game, and the Clippers currently sit a half game behind the Thunder for the best record in basketball. With Paul and Griffin being voted into the All-Star Game, could Crawford find his way onto what should be a loaded Western Conference team? "Absolutely," Griffin declared. "He's got to be the leading scorer off the bench in the NBA. He's been as big a part of this team as anybody. He should be an All-Star." “I absolutely think he's Sixth Man [of the Year], and he should be an All-Star this year," teammate Chauncey Billups said after the game. "I really do. If you look at the role that he's playing on our team and we're one of the best teams in basketball, so it's not like he's just playing well and it doesn't matter. He's making a huge effect on a good team. CBSSports.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, All-Star 

Blake Griffin: Thank you so much to all the fans who voted for me. Feel very humbled to be apart of all star weekend again. Means a lot to me. Twitter @blakegriffin

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, All Star Game 

Two Lakers and two Clippers were selected Thursday as staters for the Western Conference All-Star team. Kobe Bryant received 1.59 million votes, the most of any player in the fan balloting, as the Laker star was chosen to his 15th NBA All-Star team. His Lakers teammate Dwight Howard was also selected as a starter for the West squad. This is Howard’s seventh All-Star selection. Clippers Chris Paul (sixth All-Star team) and Blake Griffin (third All-Star selection) will also start for the West. Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant will complete the starting five for the West. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, All-Star 

Arash Markazi: Jeremy Lin was the fifth highest vote-getter in the West, finishing ahead of Blake Griffin, but he won't be in the All-Star Game. Twitter @ArashMarkazi

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, Jeremy Lin, All-Star 

Yet the older brother of Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin still is chasing his dream in the NBA Development League, playing for relative pennies on the Santa Cruz Warriors with the hopes that it will eventually pay off. Like so many players in this 12-year-old, 16-team league that is looking more and more like Major League Baseball's farm system every year, he earns between $13,000 and $25,000 (plus benefits, free housing and a per diem) for an entire season. "I'm trying to get back to the NBA," said Griffin, a second-round draft pick by the Phoenix Suns in 2009 out of Oklahoma who played for a season in Belgium before returning stateside. "That's the only reason I'm here. If it was coming down to money, I'd be overseas somewhere. I feel like I can develop better in the D-League. It's the NBA game, NBA style of play. And then besides that, every NBA team is watching every game pretty much. It's the best league in the world as far as NBA exposure." USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, D-League, Taylor Griffin 

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul belong to the only professional basketball franchise in Los Angeles that anyone will claim allegiance to right now. That’s why during Jimmy Kimmel’s first week of shows at 11:35, the host had two Clippers as guests instead of say Jodie Meeks and the guy who styles Steve Nash’s hair. The funniest part of the segment is when Chris Paul says that the Lakers are a “very good team.” Ha! Can you imagine if all late night guests were that funny? The Big Lead

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Media