LOS ANGELES — Blake Griffin, the Clippers’ No. 1 draft pick, has a broken kneecap and will be off the court for six weeks after injuring it in a preseason game last Friday.

He isn’t likely to resume basketball activities until mid-November.

The former Oklahoma star says he thought he could keeping playing with pain in his knee, but an MRI on Monday confirmed a stress fracture in the kneecap.

Coach Mike Dunleavy says the team immediately decided to shelve Griffin until next month at the earliest.