Blake Griffin took a big risk when he decided to return to the court for the Clippers' first round playoff series against the Trail Blazers. Now it seems like it he may be paying a big price for it.

According to Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding, Griffin was aware there was a strong possibility of further aggravating the tear in his left quad if he returned too soon, but decided to sacrifice his recovery for a chance to help his team in the playoffs.

While his dedication to his team is admirable and we can all understand wanting a shot to play in the NBA playoffs, in hindsight, the decision now seems ill advised. After losing both Chris Paul (fractured hand) and Blake Griffin in Game 4, the Clippers are now down 3-2 against the Trail Blazers without their two best players as they head back to Portland for Game 6. And, as rare as it is to make the NBA playoffs (for most), playing in the Olympic Games is even rarer, as it occurs only once every four years.

Unfortunately for Griffin, he may now have to miss the Olympics if he elects to get surgery on the torn quad. At the same time, if he decides against the surgery, as he did back in December of last year, he risks dealing with the nagging injury and further injuring it once again, if he plays in the Olympics. The expected recovery time for the surgery is four-to-six months. Expect updates on Griffin's decision to come in the next couple weeks or sooner.