Blake Griffin walked into the Clippers locker room before Monday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies missing something notable from his recent wardrobe -- a big black brace.

Griffin had the stitches removed Monday from his right elbow, two weeks after surgery Feb. 9 to remove a staph infection from that area. His clunky brace has now been replaced by a nondescript black sleeve.

The Clippers said there is no updated timetable for Griffin’s return, but that he’s expected to be out at least another week.

Without Griffin, the Clippers have been playing surprisingly well -- they’re 4-1 and have won their last four games in a row.


Griffin is averaging 22.5 points on 50.1% shooting from the field and 7.5 rebounds a game for the Clippers, who are in fifth place in the Western Conference with a record of 37-19.

Griffin’s teammates have stepped up in a big way in his absence.

During the Clippers’ winning streak, DeAndre Jordan has had four double-doubles, including two 20-20 performances, and Austin Rivers had a career-high 28 points in the team’s most recent win, a 126-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.