MIAMI (AP) — Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers are returning from injuries to play against the Miami Heat on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the reigning NBA champions will be without Ray Allen and Chris Bosh, both sidelined with the flu.
Billups has appeared in only three games this season and has been most recently bothered by left foot tendinitis. Paul has missed the last nine games with a bruised right kneecap, and Griffin has missed the Pacific Division leaders’ last two games with a strained left hamstring.
Also available to play for the Clippers: Jamal Crawford, who has been bothered by a sore right shoulder. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro says it will be a challenge managing minutes as he works players into the rotation.
