Los Angeles Clippers

Why would ANYONE punch a 6'11" NBA superstar in the face during a playoff game???

That's the question we posed to Clippers assistant coach Mike Woodson at LAX Tuesday -- referring to the chin check he gave DeAndre Jordan back in April.

Don't worry, it's not like he socked DeAndre's lights out -- Woodson explains it was more like a love tap to wake DJ up and "get him going."

You gotta watch the clip ... Woodson's awesome -- and explains the chin check ain't (and should NOT be) standard operating procedure with coaches.

We also asked if DeAndre ever got to return the favor -- his answer is pretty funny.

When in L.A. ... you get in the movies -- just like Clippers star Austin Rivers, who locked up a pretty sweet cameo in the new 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' movie!

We spoke with Austin -- who's still recovering from that gnarly eye injury he suffered earlier in the NBA playoff -- and he told us he was super stoked to get a role in a scene shot at Madison Square Garden.

So, what's next ... "SPACE JAM 2" -- that is, if producers hit him up for a role.

C'mon LeBron, you can pull some strings, right?

How do you get your mind off a crushing Game 5 playoff loss?? If you're DeAndre Jordan ... YOU TURN UP!!!

Hours after the Trailblazers downed the Clippers at Staples Center ... Jordan hit up Warwick nightclub in Hollywood with a few lady friends.

We're told Jordan tried to keep things low key ... but it's hard to miss a 6'11" NBA star ... even with a jacket over his head.

Someone called the cops exactly one minute before tip off at a Lakers/Clippers game to inform them terrorists were in the crowd with bombs and guns and their mission was to kill in the name of Jihad.

TMZ has obtained an LAPD search warrant chronicling a chilling phone call received by an LAPD officer at 7:29 PM on January 29, 2016. According to the warrant, a "robotic voice" stated the following: "Several people in the crowd seated strategically have explosives strapped to their chest and explosives in their shoes."

The voice went on to say, "Some of them are also strapped with Glock 18, have guns and will shoot any patron that may come in their path. We are doing this for Allah and for Jihad. We are going to slaughter the patrons of tonight's Lakers/Clippers game and there is no one that can stop us."

The caller wasn't done ... "We have people hostage in some of the bathrooms already and we shot one in the knee cap. You are all going to f***** die tonight, you filthy Americans."

According to the warrant, the police believe the call came from a Skype line and the culprit used a robotic voice to mask his/her identity.

The cops got a search warrant to force Skype to hand over the account information connected to the number.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is being called out by one of the Clipper Girls ... who says the dance squad deserves a serious RAISE ... especially since the billionaire can afford it!

Athena Perample -- who also stars on the "L.A. Clippers Dance Squad" reality show -- was leaving Craig's Wednesday night with showman Jeff Beacher when we asked if NBA cheerleaders do better than their NFL counterparts.

That's when Athena took a stand -- saying it's time for ALL professional team dancers and cheerleaders to start getting paid better ... especially with SO much money in pro sports.

Athena wouldn't say how much she's getting paid now -- but says some cold hard cash could help change a major stereotype that's been doggin' dancers for decades.

Rest easy, Clippers Nation ... Kanye West is one step closer to redesigning your HORRENDOUS mascot after lining up a sit down with Clips owner Steve Ballmer.

The Clippers introduced Chuck the Condor last month, and almost everyone loathed the thing -- including Kanye -- who begged Ballmer over the weekend to let him redesign it.

Well, Steve was paying attention and tweeted back he's open to discussing it. Now 'Ye just responded ... "%1000 Steve Ballmer. Let's meet this week if you have time. I was hanging with Chris Paul last night." Nice name drop, btw.

For the sake of sports fans and lovers of all things not horrible ... PLEASE let this happen.

By the way, we got DeAndre Jordan last night and asked how he felt about a possible Kanye collaboration ... he definitely seems entertained by the idea.

L.A. Rams running back Todd Gurley has a decision to make ... a decision central to living and working in the city of Los Angeles ... one that will affect everyone he meets and everything he knows.

Lakers fan or Clippers fan?

BTW -- Todd let us know he's TOTALLY down for a bribe ... and whichever franchise ponies up the best graft for the new sports superstar of L.A. has the best shot at getting his fandom.

How does DeAndre Jordan REALLY feel about that new zany lookin' condor mascot?

One look says it all.

Jordan was out at Warwick after the Clips big comeback victory over the Thunder Wednesday night -- when we asked about Chuck the Condor ... the new team mascot introduced earlier this week.

Some people hate him. Other people strongly dislike him.

Then again, the Clips are UNDEFEATED since Chuck joined the squad.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers wants his freedom ... freedom from the restrictive (and expensive) suits he wears to coach the Clippers ... saying if he had his way he'd call the shots in a nice comfy uniform.

Rivers was out in L.A. when we asked if he'd ever thought about coaching the game in a more comfortable pair of kicks ... 48 minutes on your feet in dress shoes must really suck.

Check out the clip -- Doc says he'd not only get rid of the shoes ... but the entire NBA coaching getup all together opting instead for the uniform the players wear.

Blake Griffin will be suspended 4 games -- without pay -- for punching the Clippers equipment assistant manager during a violent altercation in Toronto last month.

Blake Griffin's punching hand is still swollen and scarred ... roughly one week after the NBA star underwent surgery for injuries caused from his Toronto fistfight ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

The Clippers star finally surfaced in L.A. on Wednesday -- and you can see the scar on his right hand from last Tuesday's procedure to repair the spiral fracture on his 4th metacarpal.

Blake Griffin isn't just in the doghouse with Clippers management -- but multiple teammates are also upset with the NBA star ... with one player telling TMZ Sports, "He let the team down."

We've spoken with several people in the Clippers organization -- including players -- who tell us people are sour on Blake because he acted "selfishly" when he punched the team's equipment manager.

Our sources tell us ... Blake and Matias Testi had been arguing pretty intensely at Sotto Sotto in Toronto -- but it escalated when Testi called Blake a "bitch" ... and Blake felt disrespected.

The players we spoke with say they feel bad for both Blake and Testi -- both are well liked in the organization -- but they're more upset with Blake because his stupid mistake really hurts the team.

Is the situation fixable? From what we're told, yes ... but it's on Blake to win back the team -- and the owner -- who had issued a statement essentially saying Griffin was a disgrace to the team.

Kia isn't exactly rushing to the defense of their superstar pitchman Blake Griffin -- with the car company refusing to say if they'll stand by the NBA star in the wake of his fistfight in Toronto.

We reached out to Kia to ask if Blake's job is safe ... this is all we got back:

"Kia is not offering comment on this matter."

Not exactly a rousing show of support for a guy who's had a working relationship with Kia since 2011.

We're guessing Kia's just waiting to see how the NBA investigation shakes out before committing to any course of action ... can't really blame 'em.

As for Blake, he's already had the most powerful man in the NBA go to bat for him -- so, he's probably not too worried.

The Clippers would be stupid to trade away Blake Griffin after the fight in Toronto ... 'cause they won't win a chip without him ... so says his former teammate Glen "Big Baby" Davis.

Big Baby says he hasn't spoken with Griffin personally yet (and jokingly speculates on what the fight could've been about) ... but the important thing is the end, where Davis says he thinks the team will come out STRONGER after the incident.

It doesn't matter if he got punched in the face, the Clippers need to FIRE the equipment guy for his role in the Blake Griffin fight, stat ... so says ex-NFL star Ricky Williams.

Long story short ... Ricky says the equipment guy needs to know his role with the team -- and that's to not put himself in a situation where the star player wants to beat his face in!

Dennis Rodman says Blake Griffin's punch WON'T be a factor if the Clippers decides to trade him -- saying in the end, it comes down to one thing ... if can he help the team win on the court.

Rodman was at the Staples Center for the Lakers game Tuesday night when we asked for his thoughts on the situation.

"It don't matter. He makes too much money."