LOS ANGELES — Blake Griffin’s broken kneecap has reminded the Los Angeles Clippers’ No. 1 draft pick it’s not always a good idea to play through pain.

Griffin will be off the court for six weeks to rest his knee after injuring it in a preseason game last Friday. He will miss the Clippers’ season opener against the Lakers on Tuesday night, and isn’t likely to resume basketball activities until mid-November.
The former Oklahoma star says he thought he could keeping playing with pain in his knee, but an MRI on Monday confirmed a stress fracture in his kneecap. Coach Mike Dunleavy says the team immediately decided to shelve Griffin until next month at the earliest.
He averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in the preseason.