March 18--Blake Griffin looked much better on the court in his second game back against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
He had 19 points on eight for 12 shooting, 11 rebounds, four assists and two turnovers. It was a much-improved performance from his first game back Sunday against the Houston Rockets, in which he had 11 points on four-for-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, eight assists and five turnovers.
Griffin, who missed 15 games because of a staph infection in his right elbow that required surgery, said he felt less sore after Tuesday's game than he did after Sunday's.
The superstar power forward, however, said that his shot still feels very off because his strength is at only 60%.
He described thinking that he was overshooting a shot that fell short in the first half.
"I thought it was going to go over the backboard, and I shot it hard on purpose, and it was short," Griffin said. "It's a weird feeling. It did feel better, but it's not normal yet."
Griffin said he spent all of Monday's practice working on regaining his rhythm
"I was doing offense the entire practice, so that helped just kind of getting the ball in the post and trying to make plays," Griffin said.
The Clippers, who only have 14 games left in the regular season, are in fifth place in the Western Conference with a record of 43-25.
Griffin hopes that his strength will continue to improve as he helps the Clippers during the team's final stretch.
"Everyday I'm still working on strength, and it's getting a little bit better," he said.
According to Clippers Coach Doc Rivers, Griffin is on the right track.
"I thought he was better, by far tonight," Rivers said after Tuesday's game.
