Danilo Gallinari to play for Clippers on Friday against Portland

Reporting from PORTLAND — Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari, who has been out the last 18 games recovering from a non-displaced fracture of his right hand, said he will play Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Gallinari said before the Clippers’ shootaround Friday morning that there won’t be a minutes’ restriction on his playing time.

“I’m ready for whatever minutes the team needs,” Gallinari said. “I’m good to go. I’m going all in, baby.”

Gallinari had his right hand wrapped in black tape, which he said he will wear as protection during the game.

He said there still is some pain in his hand.

“Hopefully, the ball will go in tonight,” Gallinari said. “We’ll see.”

Gallinari last played in a game Feb. 22 at Golden State. He was injured when Warriors forward Draymond Green’s elbow struck Gallinari’s hand.

With seven regular-season games left and the ninth-seeded Clippers just one game behind the eighth-seeded Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Gallinari said he wants to do his part to help the Clippers make the postseason for the seventh consecutive season.

“It’s a lot of fun because I’ve been on good teams and bad teams, and when you are not playing for anything at this point of the season, it’s not fun, man,” Gallinari said. “But when you play for something, it’s way more fun.”

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