NBA: Griffin to miss All-Star Game after elbow surgery

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin will be sidelined at least through next weekend`s NBA All-Star Game after undergoing surgery on his right elbow, the team announced Sunday.

Griffin, voted into a starting spot for next Sunday`s clash of Eastern and Western Conference talent, will have right elbow surgery Monday to remove a bacterial infection and will be re-evaluated after the All-Star Game break, the Clippers announced.

Griffin is averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game while shooting 50.1 percent from the floor over 35.3 minutes a game this season.

The 25-year-old playmaker would have been making his fifth NBA All-Star Game appearance.

Griffin will miss Clippers games against Oklahoma City, Dallas and Houston before the break. His earliest return would be February 19 in a home game against defending NBA champion San Antonio.

At 33-18, the Clippers are sixth in the Western Conference, just ahead of San Antonio.