Nearly two weeks after officially signing with the Brooklyn Nets, Blake Griffin made his team debut on Sunday in their 113-106 win over the Washington Wizards. Overall it was a rather unremarkable performance, as he finished with a pedestrian two points, two rebounds and a block in 15 minutes.
However, there was one moment that had everyone talking. Early in the fourth quarter, Griffin took a pass from James Harden at the top of the key. He pump faked, left Robin Lopez in the dust and cruised down the lane for a two-hand slam. The dunk in and of itself wasn't super impressive, but it was noteworthy because it was the first time Griffin had dunked in a game since Dec. 12, 2019 -- 464 days ago.
BlAkE gRiFfIn DoEsNt DuNk AnYmOrE pic.twitter.com/dKjuwyoI7z
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 22, 2021
Griffin's sudden lack of bounce and athleticism had been a major topic of conversation earlier this season, and there were plenty of jokes about how he would suddenly rediscover it when he joined the Nets. He didn't quite turn into 2012 Blake overnight, but sure enough he threw one down.
"It felt great," Griffin said postgame. "I knew once it happened it was gonna be a thing, so I tried not to look at the bench when I was coming back down. But then I peeked over and saw DeAndre [Jordan] all the way out on the side and everybody standing up. So it's hard not to smile in that situation, but it felt good to get that out of the way and move on."
Griffin is still on a minutes restriction, and will be limited to around 15 minutes for at least the next few games. Prior to Sunday, he last played on Feb. 12, so he still needs to work his way back to game shape, and the Nets are going to be extra careful considering his recent knee problems.
