Doc Rivers Blames Lonzo Ball for Blake Griffin Injury, but It Was His Son Austin

It's natural for a father to come to his son's defense, but paternal loyalty may have blinded Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers when he blamed Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball for an injury to Blake Griffin.

"Lonzo was just trying to make a play," Rivers said of Ball, per the Los Angeles Times' Helene Elliott. "Lonzo knocked somebody into Blake. And there was a trigger effect. What can you say?"

However, Rivers' son Austin was the player who collided into Griffin's left knee when he was attempting to collect a loose ball on the floor.

It wouldn't even be all that fair to blame Austin Rivers for what happened, since he was making a logical basketball play given the situation. Griffin's injury was simply a case of bad luck.

Doc Rivers' frustration may have gotten the better of him during his press conference, because losing Griffin for an extended period of time would add to what has been a rough start for Los Angeles.

According to ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz, Griffin will undergo testing on his knee Tuesday to determine the extent of his injury.

Even with Monday's 120-115 win over the Lakers, the Clippers are tied for the ninth-best record in the Western Conference at 8-11. The team is already reeling from Patrick Beverley's season-ending knee surgery. Take Griffin out of the mix, and the Clippers' postseason hopes would surely fall by the wayside, which could have a ripple effect on DeAndre Jordan's future, since he can opt out of his contract next summer.

And if things aren't bad enough for Rivers, his comments about Lonzo are sure to draw the ire of LaVar Ball, thus adding another headache to an already aggravating 2017-18 season.