SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ On the night the Los Angeles Clippers welcomed back two starters back from the injured list, they lost starting center DeAndre Jordan with a sprained left ankle in the first half of LA's 121-115 win over the Sacramento Kings Thursday night at Golden1 Center.
Jordan, who had thrown down a right-handed dunk over Sacramento's Skal Labissiere with five minutes, 15 seconds left in the second quarter, came out at halftime and tried to return. But he eventually went back to the locker room for the rest of the game.
Blake Griffin, who had missed the last two games with a concussion, and Milos Teodosic, who had missed the last three games with a sore plantar fasciitis to his left foot, both returned to the starting lineup just in time for the injury-marred Clippers.
Griffin, who had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, said it was "par for the course for our team this year" for the Clippers to have another player go down with an injury.
"One guy comes back, one guy has to go out," Griffin said. "Naw, I mean, you obviously hate to see that happen. DJ is never out long. He'll be back soon."
Griffin added that he felt "fine head-wise. But I just felt I was a little off rhythm-wise."
When Jordan came down after his dunk over Labissiere, the Clippers center's left knee buckled.
Jordan limped to the bench and sat down, his hands over his head while Clippers head athletic trainer Jasen Powell kneed in front of the distraught center.
A few minutes later, Jordan limped to the Clippers locker room.
Jordan left with eight points on four-for-four shooting, seven rebounds and two assists.
"I stepped on his foot," Jordan, who had an electric stim device hooked up to his ankle after game, said about Labissiere. "I tried to come back, but I couldn't.
Jordan has played in all 41 of the Clippers game this season.
The Clippers play Saturday at Staples Center against the Kings again.
"Am I playing Saturday?" Jordan asked. "We'll see."
The Clippers won their third consecutive games because of a team effort.
Lou Williams followed up his 50-point explosion against Golden State Wednesday night with 30 points against the Kings.
Montrezl Harrell, playing more because Jordan was out, had a season-high 25 points.
Wesley Johnson contributed 13 points and Teodosic had 10 points and nine assists.
The Clippers saw their 16-point lead in the third quarter turn into a one-point deficit in the fourth.
But like they have done so much this season, the Clippers kept competing.
They finally put the game away in a wild finish.
Williams turned the ball over with 15.2 seconds left and the Clippers holding a 117-115 lead.
But Kosta Koufos, who made the steal, threw the ball away to Tyrone Wallace.
Wallace got the ball and waltzed in for a dunk that gave the Clippers a 119-115 lead that stood.
"It was a great win," Griffin said. "All we talked about before the game was getting a win. Guys stepped up. Guys played really well. Guys made big plays when we needed them and we're walking out here with a win."
