With the NBA nearing a conclusion of its investigation on the Blake Griffin punching incident, it seems pretty clear that the Los Angeles Clippers forward will be in for disciplinary sanctions and likely huge fine.

Griffin’s Jan. 23 fight case could be subject to the same kind of penalty that was meted out on Memphis Grizzlies Matt Barnes and head coach Derek Fisher of the New York Knicks. Barnes was suspended two games for that incident, so seeing the All Star forward suffering the same should not come as a surprise.

While the NBA has yet to announce its decision on the matter, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is likely to mete out disciplinary actions of his own.

"There needs to be consequences," he said. "It's the right thing to do," says Ballmer via the LA Times.

The internal issue goes beyond what the league is expected to issue. Ballmer made it clear that the incident involving Griffin and the team’s assistant equipment manager falls along the lines of an employee-on-employee violence.

Aside from that, however, Ballmer knows that everything will eventually settle down.

"He certainly has been remorseful, which is great, and we'll find a way to move past it. That's part of life. An important part of life is learning how to have consequences."

To date, the only update that NBA commissioner Adam Silver could give is that they are still in the process of looking into the issue.

“There (are) a lot of people who we want to talk to, and ultimately ensure that we have as complete an understanding as possible as to exactly what happened,” said Silver via telephone interview made by USA Today.

TMZ put up some photos of Griffin’s hand recently, and it was pretty swollen and scarred. The Clippers forward had to undergo surgery to repair the spiral fracture on his fourth metacarpal resulting from that fracas.

Griffin has been continuously hit for the incident since it only prolonged his time away from the roster. The hand surgery will keep Griffin out for an additional 4 to 6 weeks, another woe that Doc Rivers has to contend with as the team tries to get its act back together.

Rivers may also have to deal with what sanctions Griffin would be given. A suspension is seen as imminently one of them. If so, this means that even if Griffin were to fully recover from it, he will be forced to sit out some games in light of that off-court incident.