Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin said that he will "probably" retaliate if the hard fouls being committed against him continue, ESPN reports.
Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker fouled Griffin roughly in the air during the teams preseason game Friday. The two exchanged words before Griffin grabbed the back of Booker's head in a tussle. Teammates separated the pair almost immediately.
"I was going to, but then I thought, 'It's preseason,'" Griffin said when asked about retaliating. "It's not worth it. That's not the person I want to waste it on."
Griffin was asked if his frustration over these physical fouls will lead to retaliation going forward.
"Yeah, probably. I'm not going to do it for no reason or if it's not warranted and I didn't feel that was."
Clippers coach Doc Rivers hopes Griffin won't retaliate but does admit that these overly aggressive fouls are weighing on him, according to ESPN.
"You don't ever want him to do anything but he gets hit with more cheap shots than anybody in the league," Rivers said. "I don't even think it's close."
Los Angeles point guard Chris Paul said he could see Griffin being pushed to a breaking point after the Booker foul.
"He's getting real close to it," Paul said about Griffin retaliating. "I'm glad [he didn't] because we need him. A lot of times in those situations, we need him a lot more than the other team needs the person that usually [aggravates him]. It's tough. Blake is unbelievable to show that patience. I think that's one of the most selfless things that he does all season long because even though he wants to react personally, he sacrifices for the team."
Griffin has refrained from physical retaliation in the past despite repeated hard fouls against him. He feels as if no matter what he does, people still criticize him.
"On one hand, everybody tells me to do something; on the other hand, people tell me to not complain and to play ball," Griffin said, as quoted by ESPN. "You're not going to please everybody but I just got to do whatever I think is right and use my judgment."
