Grizzlies maintain offensive blueprint in win
Jordan’s basket cut the Grizzlies’ lead to four points, 77-73, and with 9:26 remaining in the game, it seemed the Clippers had plenty of time to overcome the minor deficit.
Except, like their Game 3 and 4 victories in Memphis, the Grizzlies had an emphatic answer for every Clippers run, ultimately prevailing for a 103-93 win to take a 3-2 lead in the series.
On the next possession, Mike Conley ran a pick-and-roll on the left side of the floor with Zach Randolph and broke free of Eric Bledsoe, slashing his way to the rim. Jordan, Randolph’s defender, rotated over to Conley and contested his shot, forcing him to arc his layup too high and to the right.
Yet as a few Clippers stood under the basket, waiting for what seemed like an uncontested defensive rebound, Tony Allen came along the right baseline and soared into the paint for one of his five offensive boards, gently laying the ball in.
Paul, who was responsible for defending Allen on the play, stared as the shot went up and didn’t box him or anyone else out.
It was symbolic of the difference between the two teams during these last three games: the Clippers waiting for opportunities as the Grizzlies actively sought them out.
“I am disappointed with myself,” Paul said. “I have to contain the ball. … During the fourth quarter, I lost track of Tony [Allen] and he got a big offensive rebound. It starts with me.”
Scoring was often a chore for the Clippers. Only Paul (35 points) and Jamal Crawford (15 points) scored in double figures, and no one else had more than seven points. The Grizzlies made the offensive end look effortless, merely entering the ball into one of their big men on the block and watching them toy with the Clippers’ helpless post defenders.
As a result of Griffin’s high right ankle sprain, the Clippers elected to switch him onto Marc Gasol and Jordan onto Randolph for most of the game -- theoretically allowing Jordan to use his length to bother Randolph and preventing Griffin’s lack of mobility from being exposed inside -- but the defensive adjustment didn’t affect the production of either player.
Randolph had 25 points and 11 rebounds, bulldozing any defender within arm’s reach, and Gasol had 21 points and eight rebounds to go with his always superb defense. Their output (46 points, 19 rebounds) far exceeded that of all five Clippers big men combined (22 points, 19 rebounds).
In a sense, the Grizzlies’ offensive schemes are simple and somewhat predictable, yet they’ve executed them beautifully in this series, patiently finding ways to score even when the Clippers know the exact set they’re running.
“They really execute their plays,” Chauncey Billups said. “We pretty much know where they’re going. After the play is over, they dump it down. They’re a really disciplined team.”
And even if the Grizzlies missed a shot, they usually got a second chance. They grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, their second most of the series, and have had double-digit efforts on the offensive glass in all three wins.
Allen, in particular, has used his size advantage and athleticism against Paul, Crawford and Billups to attack the offensive glass. After not grabbing any rebounds in Game 1, Allen has had eight or more rebounds in three of the four contests.
His offensive rebound putback was just one of a few backbreaking plays from the Grizzlies.
Whenever their sense of control over the game dwindled, the Grizzlies responded convincingly -- Jerryd Bayless’ coast-to-coast buzzer-beating layup at the end of the third quarter, Tayshaun Prince’s 3-pointer with 1:29 remaining and Gasol’s hook shot with 48 seconds left to all but seal the game.
Since the trip to Memphis, the Clippers simply haven’t been able to stymie Gasol and Randolph, and it has affected their entire defensive system, creating leaks and holes where there shouldn’t be any. They’ve tried playing the big men one-on-one, doubling them, fronting them and even aggressively helping off spot-up shooters, among other tactics, but nothing has worked for more than a few possessions.
The result has been three straight losses, all by double digits, and an uphill fight in Friday’s Game 6 in Memphis.
Stats used are from ESPN.com and MySynergySports.com.
Clippers have to be 'desperate' in Game 6
The Clippers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 103-93 Tuesday night at Staples Center and face the daunting task of having to go on the road to win a playoff game to keep their season alive. Not only that, the Clippers are looking at playing with a less-than-100 percent Blake Griffin, who sprained his ankle Monday in practice and couldn’t finish Tuesday’s game.
The loss Tuesday was the third consecutive in the series for L.A., which is trying to avoid becoming only the 16th team in NBA playoff history to lose a series after taking a 2-0 lead.
“We’ve got to be desperate,” said Chris Paul, who scored 35 points Tuesday. “They say the playoffs don’t start 'til somebody loses at home, so I guess ours started.”
A loss would be a serious blow to a franchise that is trying to turn a corner and become a respected team after years as an NBA also-ran. The Clippers seemed to be headed in that direction this season when they set a franchise record for wins, won a division title for the first time, and swept the season series from the Lakers for the first time since moving to L.A.
A first-round playoff exit would almost certainly rekindle whispers of “the same old Clippers” and would put the Clippers in the same first-round loser’s boat as the Lakers. A win Friday and another one Sunday to take the series would help the franchise edge out of mediocrity and offer some hope that the recent renaissance is for real.
“None of that means anything,” Paul said. “The division, who we beat during the season -- none of that means anything. … For me, all I’m focused on is Game 6.”
Winning at Memphis will be difficult. The Clippers have lost the last two games there by 12 and 21 points. The Grizzlies are rolling now, having won the last three games by an average of 14.3 points. But the Clippers have won in Memphis in must-win situations before.
Last year, the Clippers won Game 7 of their first-round series at FedEx Forum. Just a couple of weeks ago, L.A. defeated the Grizzlies in Memphis with home-court advantage in this series on the line. Even in the two lopsided losses last week, the Clippers were within single digits at the end of three quarters.
“We know we have to play better, regroup and see how healthy we can get between now and then,” coach Vinny Del Negro said. “We’re not going to lay down. We're going to never give up, we’re going to play hard, play together and do what we can to make it work.”
It stands a better chance of working well if Griffin can play. The All-Star forward was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder in the regular season. He landed on teammate Lamar Odom’s foot during practice Monday and tried to play through the pain Tuesday, but had to come out near the end of the third quarter.
“When I feel like I can’t really do what I need to do to help our team, I don’t want to put our team at risk and make it worse,” Griffin said.
It’s still too early to determine Griffin’s status for Friday’s game. And even with a healthy Griffin, it won’t be easy for the Clippers to keep this series alive.
“It’s a challenge,” Griffin said. “They’re tough at home, but we’ve gotten tough wins at their place before so you can’t really rule anything out. Obviously, this is it. Our backs are against the wall. We have to play with a sense of urgency or obviously everybody knows what happens.”
Rapid Reaction: Grizzlies 103, Clippers 93
LOS ANGELES -- The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 103-93 Tuesday night at Staples Center to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round series of the Western Conference playoffs. It was the third consecutive victory for the Grizzlies and the first road win in the series for either team.
Here's a quick breakdown.
How it happened: The Grizzlies played a tough, physical game and outshined a virtuoso performance by Clippers guard Chris Paul, who had 35 points, six rebounds and four assists.
The Clippers, who played much of the second half without injured All-Star forward Blake Griffin (sprained ankle) had no answer for the inside-outside combination of Memphis forward Zach Randolph and guard Mike Conley. Those two combined for 45 points, while center Marc Gasol was unstoppable for stretches at a time and added 21 points and eight rebounds.
Gasol scored six points during an 11-0 Memphis run in the third quarter and routinely got past a wounded Griffin. A few minutes later, Griffin left the game with the Clippers trailing 71-60. He did not return.
Paul and Jamal Crawford made back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Clippers a 40-38 lead with 5:34 left in the first half, but the Clippers went through a bad stretch that turned momentum in favor of the Grizzlies. Memphis went on a 16-5 run over the next 4:46 -- a stretch that included three L.A. turnovers and fouls Nos. 2 and 3 on Griffin -- and took a 54-45 lead.
Paul, however, kept the game from getting out of reach with a pair of layups and a late 3-pointer that cut the Memphis lead to 54-48 at halftime.
Turning point: The Clippers were within two points with 9:55 to play in the third quarter, but Memphis went on an 11-0 run to take a 65-52 lead with 6:28 left in the third. It was the first double-digit lead for either team, and the Grizzlies did not trail again after that.
Player of the game: Randolph scored 10 of his 25 points in the final 10 minutes, 5 seconds of the game, seemingly singlehandedly stemming any chance the Clippers could make a run. The Clippers had cut the Memphis lead to 75-71 with 10:23 to play, but Randolph scored four points during a 6-2 Grizzlies run that kept the Clippers at arm’s length. He scored six more points during a three-minute stretch later in the fourth that helped the Grizzlies maintain a comfortable lead at 89-80. He also had 11 rebounds -- five on the offensive glass.
What it means: Memphis, which left L.A. last week down 2-0 in the series, is one win away from advancing to the second round. Only 15 teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a series in NBA playoff history. The Clippers will need to regroup and find some of the magic that helped them win last season’s series against Memphis.
What’s next: The series will resume Friday in Memphis. Game 7, if necessary, will be Sunday at Staples Center.
How Clippers can bounce back in Game 5
Here are three ways the Clippers can bounce back in Game 5:
Lean on their stars more
It’s not uncommon to see superstars play 40-plus minutes a night in the playoffs, as most teams don’t have enough depth to remain viable with their bench players on the floor.
The Clippers clearly don’t have that problem, as they have arguably the best bench in the league, but their depth has actually worked against them this postseason: It has prevented them from playing their stars, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, as much as they probably should play them.
Currently, 13 players are averaging 40 or more minutes per game (MPG) this postseason. In the regular season, no one averaged more than 38.7 MPG, implying a considerable uptick for more than a dozen players.
On that list you’ll find Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, who has averaged 40.8 minutes per game despite the fact that the Grizzlies have backup big men Darrell Arthur and Ed Davis, who would start on a lot of teams. Mike Conley, Paul’s counterpart, isn’t far behind Gasol, having already logged 37-plus minutes in three of the four games.
Meanwhile, Paul and Blake Griffin are averaging 35 and 31 minutes per game, respectively. Paul has yet to play more than 36 minutes, and Griffin has yet to log more than 34.
While foul trouble has certainly hampered Griffin’s minutes, he actually played more in Game 3 (33 minutes), when he had five fouls, than in Game 4 (32 minutes), when he had only three. In comparison, Zach Randolph, who also battled foul trouble in Games 1 and 2, played 37 minutes in both Games 3 and 4.
There are unforeseen issues, such as injuries or foul trouble, which can inhibit a star from playing 40 minutes. But those factors notwithstanding, the Clippers can afford to lean on Paul and Griffin more and reap the benefits.
Help off non-shooters more aggressively
In Games 1 and 2, the Clippers thwarted the Grizzlies’ post-ups and high-low action by largely ignoring Memphis’ wings spotting up. Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince aren’t 3-point-shooting threats, so the Clippers were able to help off of them and either hedge or double-team down low.
Not only did their aggressive approach halt the Grizzlies’ big men from gaining extra ground on the block -- by making them pick their dribble up or stop short at times -- but it also put them in better rebounding position.
In Games 3 and 4, however, the Clipper wings were more conservative in their defensive approach, rarely helping off their man and often leaving Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to try to defend Gasol and Randolph one-on-one. As the rebounding margin and points in the paint show, the results were disastrous.
Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins elected to play Quincy Pondexter, a 39.5 percent 3-point shooter this season, more minutes in Memphis, resulting in a slight increase in the Grizzlies’ 3-point attempts from 11.5 on the road to 14.0 at home (although the shots still weren’t falling). This adjustment stretched out the Clippers’ defense and allowed the Grizzlies to put a larger, longer defender on Paul.
Regardless of the lineups they deploy, the Grizzlies have yet to make more than five 3-pointers in a game this series and are shooting a paltry 29.4 percent beyond the arc. During the regular season, the Grizzlies weren’t much better, making 4.2 3-pointers per game on 32.6 percent shooting; both figures ranked in the bottom five of the league.
By any measure, the Grizzlies are subpar 3-shooting team. Until they win a game by burning the Clippers from deep, L.A. needs to regain its focus on limiting Randolph and Gasol in the paint.
Stagger the starting lineups’ minutes
Throughout these playoffs, the Clippers have constantly shuffled their lineups, with only three five-man units logging 15 or more minutes. As such, it’s difficult to glean much from the lineup data. However, this much is clear: The starting lineup has struggled immensely against the Grizzlies.
In 59 minutes (the most by any lineup), the group has mustered a 96.8 offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions), which would rank lower than the Washington Wizards’ 97.8 last-place rating, and a defensive rating of 117.3 (points allowed per 100 possessions), significantly lower than the Charlotte Bobcat’s 108.9 last-place mark.
Overall, the lineup has a net rating of minus-20.5 (net differential per 100 possessions).
Conversely, the Grizzlies’ starting lineup, which has played 66 minutes, has a 110.5 offensive rating and a 90.8 defensive rating (both figures would lead the league) and an impressive +19.7 net rating.
Since Paul and Griffin should already be playing more, the changes will have to come from the three players around them.
Billups appears to be the weakest link, as he’s been a nonfactor offensively in two games already (30 percent shooting overall) and hasn’t been able to defend Allen in the open court -- he’s shooting 52.2 percent with Billups on the floor and 44.4 percent with Billups on the bench.
Whether it’s tweaking the starting lineup by inserting the energy of Matt Barnes or Eric Bledsoe, or just playing those two a little earlier in the game, the Clippers have to figure out a way to have more success in the beginning of games.
Stats used in this post are from ESPN Stats & Information and NBA.com/Stats.
Grizzlies bully Clippers with inside game
Combining for 48 points and 22 rebounds in a 21-point victory is impressive enough, but the Memphis duo's impact against the Los Angeles Clippers isn't fully captured by those numbers since the series shifted to Memphis for Games 3 and 4.
The pushing and shoving under the basket, hard screens, constant battling for position, high-low passes and effective use of their massive frames are just some of the things that make them arguably the best big-man tandem in the NBA.
While Randolph rode the momentum from his breakout performance in Game 3 to another monster outing in Game 4, Gasol showed his first glimpses of offensive dominance all series, asserting himself in the second half after a halftime speech from head coach Lionel Hollins.
A focal point of the Grizzlies’ offensive attack is the high-low play between Gasol and Randolph. With Gasol stationed at the high post, capable of shooting or passing over his defender, and Randolph down low, outmuscling his opponent for position, it’s almost impossible to stop.
The Grizzlies often initiate the movement by running a decoy action to set up either Gasol or Randolph in scoring position later in the possession.
In one instance midway through the second quarter, Mike Conley and Gasol ran a basic pick-and-roll on the left wing. As Conley drove left and evaded the Clippers’ ensuing trap, he got into the paint and kicked the ball back out to Randolph at the top of the key.
Randolph surveyed the floor, and then made an entry pass to Gasol at the left elbow. As Randolph’s defender, Ronny Turiaf, started recovering back to him after helping in the lane to stop Conley’s penetration, Randolph made a nimble backdoor cut and was fed by Gasol for a layup to extend the Grizzlies’ lead to 40-35.
The give-and-go was beautiful, the type of play you’d see from two quick guards, not a pair of lumbering big men.
"Their synergy is pretty amazing,” Clippers point guard Chris Paul told reporters after Game 4. "Z-Bo on the inside and big fella Marc -- that's another guard the way he passes the ball and shoots the ball.”
Whether it’s big-to-big screens along the baseline to create mismatches inside or tag-teaming the offensive boards, Gasol and Randolph have had their way with the Clippers’ big men. Almost no one can guard Randolph one-on-one in the paint, and Gasol’s 7-foot-1 frame allows him to release his grounded jumper whenever he chooses.
Behind the play of their bigs, the Grizzlies dominated the glass (90-61), points in the paint (86-64), and second-chance points (44-6) in Memphis, en route to two double-digit wins and a 2-2 series tie.
To have even remotely a chance of gaining back the edge in the series, the Clippers will need to double-team down low early and often, rotate decisively, and match the Grizzlies’ physicality and intensity.
The Clippers entered Memphis hoping to steal a game and then wrap up the series in L.A. in Game 5. Now, they’re guaranteed a return to FedEx Forum -- their personal house of horrors this postseason -- with their season potentially on the line.
With the history these two teams have, there are no surprises. Each team knows what the other wants to do. The Clippers are well are of the adjustments they need to make, and the type of energy and attention to detail required to handle Memphis’ frontline. Now it’s just a matter of doing it for 48 minutes.
Rapid Reaction: Grizzlies 104, Clippers 83
As the Los Angeles Clippers celebrated their blowout win in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, there was a simple message written on the dry-erase board in the locker room:
"9 min. left 77-76. End game on 35-15 run!"
It was the kind of closeout effort that championship teams need in the playoffs. Since that game, however, the Clippers have not done a good job of closing out games at all.
The Grizzlies have outscored the Clippers in the fourth quarter of every game since then, and Saturday’s 104-83 loss was the worst performance yet. The game was tied 62-62 with 3:20 left in the third quarter before the Grizzlies outscored the Clippers 42-21 the rest of the way. The Grizzlies outscored the Clippers 33-16 in the fourth quarter and over the past three games have outscored the Clippers 77-54 in the final period.
How it happened: Much like in Game 3, the Grizzlies' big man tandem of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol was just too much for the Clippers. Randolph had 24 points and nine rebounds while Gasol, the defensive player of the year, had 24 points and 13 rebounds. The tandem’s combined 48 points and 22 rebounds were greater than the Clippers’ starters combined (40 points, 17 rebounds). In fact, Randolph and Gasol almost had as many rebounds as the entire Clippers team (28).
What it means: Despite playing a close game through three quarters, the final box score ended up looking as lopsided as the final score. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Clippers (45 to 28), had more points in the paint (46 to 38), had more second-chance points (22 to 2) and shot more free throws (29 to 17). The lopsided numbers were almost identical to the Game 3 numbers, which has to be cause for concern for L.A. after the team spent the past two days working to reverse these trends. The most glaring similarities were rebounding (45 to 33 in Game 3) and second-chance points (22 to 2 in Game 3). If the Clippers can’t change this in Los Angeles, it’s going to be hard to change the final score.
Hits: If the Clippers can hang their hat on one thing, it’s that Chris Paul responded to one of his worst playoff games ever with a solid performance. He had 19 points, six assists and just one turnover after having just eight points and five turnovers in Game 3. The problem is Paul had 14 points and five assists in the first half, which means he didn’t do much in the second half. Paul had just one point, one assist and one turnover in the fourth quarter before being taken out with the game out of hand.
Misses: Every one of the Grizzlies’ starters scored double-digit points, with two having 15 points and two more having 24 points. On the flip side, two of the Clippers’ starters went scoreless (Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler), while another (DeAndre Jordan) had only two points. It’s going to be hard for the Clippers to win many games -- on the road no less -- when three of their five starters are combing for two points, five rebounds and one assist.
Stat of the game: There are plenty of stats that Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro will circle on his final box score with a red pen, but the two big ones will be the discrepancies in rebounding and second-chance points. The Clippers don’t have a chance if those two numbers continue to be that lopsided.
Up next: The goal for the Clippers coming into these two games in Memphis was stealing one game and putting themselves in position to close the series out in Game 5 in Los Angeles. After losing back-to-back games for the first time since March, the Clippers now need to win Game 5 at Staples Center to avoid giving the Grizzlies an opportunity to close the series out in Memphis in Game 6.
Grizzlies contain Paul’s pick-and-roll attack
They lost the rebounding battle (45 to 33), turned the ball over 18 times, were outscored in the paint (40-26), and had their worst shooting performance -- 38.8 percent -- since Feb. 1 in Toronto.
The most telling stat, however, was this: Chris Paul had more turnovers (5) than assists (4) or made field goals (4).
After failing to properly execute their pick-and-roll defense against Paul in Games 1 and 2, the Grizzlies made a concerted effort to restrict his space and force him to the left sideline in Game 3, instead of letting him to go to the middle of the floor.
The main adjustment came from the Grizzlies’ big men, who dropped back and station themselves at the free-throw line, preventing Paul from penetrating but also not giving him enough room to get a clean shot off.
With 5:40 remaining in the game, and the Clippers trailing 81-71, Paul dribbled up the left sideline while being hounded by defensive ace Tony Allen, and stopped at the left wing to initiate a side pick-and-roll with Blake Griffin.
As Zach Randolph came up to trap him, Paul split the two defenders and darted towards the paint. He then crossed over from left to right, but didn’t get far, as Allen quickly swiped the ball away from behind. Marc Gasol recovered the loose ball, and the Grizzlies went on an 8-2 run, effectively putting the game out of reach at 89-73.
The sight of Paul being stripped in a crucial juncture, as uncommon as it is, was typical of his performance on the night. He simply had no answer for the Grizzlies’ defense down the stretch. His next two pick-and-roll possessions resulted in an airball 3-pointer and an offensive foul. Four of Paul’s five turnovers came out of pick-and-roll plays.
“We made a big point of emphasis on the pick-and-roll and how our bigs were down low,” Allen told the Memphis Flyer after the game. “They had their antennas on when he was coming off of it. We tried not to let him go to the right as much as he wanted to. That's his strong hand. He does a lot of damage that way.”
In Game 3, the Clippers averaged .53 points per play (PPP) when they ran a pick-and-roll in which the ball-handler scored, got fouled or turned the ball over. For comparison, they scored 1.45 PPP in Game 1 and 1.13 PPP in Game 2 on the same possessions. During the regular season they averaged .83 PPP in those situations, which ranked third in the NBA.
Paul has had off shooting nights before, but he rarely fails to approach double-digit assists, and his four assists tied the fewest he’s had all season when playing at least 30 minutes in a game.
“It's uncharacteristic of us, especially me,” Paul told reporters after the game.
The Grizzlies found a defensive strategy that worked against Paul in Game 3. But seven-game series are all about game-to-game adjustments, so now it’s up to the Clippers to figure out with ways to free up Paul so he can become effective again.
Statistics used in this post are from ESPN.com, NBA.com/Stats and MySynergySports.com.
Rapid Reaction: Grizzlies 94, Clippers 82
After Monday's buzzer-beating, game-winning shot in Game 2, Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul was hailed as perhaps the best closer in the NBA. Three days later in Memphis, Paul was never put in a position to close Game 3 and he had as much to do with that as anyone on the team.
Paul finished with eight points and five turnovers to go along with four assists and six rebounds. He was 4-of-11 from the field, missing both of his attempts from beyond the arc, including an air ball in the fourth quarter before he was finally taken out with the game out of reach as the Memphis Grizzlies won 94-82.
There was plenty of blame to go around for the Clippers' first loss in their past 10 games, and their first loss in Memphis in nearly a year, but Paul's performance would have to be near the top of the list. He is the engine that makes this team go and it was sputtering from the opening tip Thursday. Paul didn't score a single point in the fourth quarter, missing his only attempt and committing two turnovers, as the Grizzlies pushed their lead to 16 points and forced Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro to pull his starters and wave the white flag.
How it happened: Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph came out possessed from the start. He scored 18 points in the first half, which was as much as Paul, Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, DeAndre Jordan, Lamar Odom, Eric Bledsoe, Ryan Hollins and Ronny Turiaf did up until that point. The tandem of Randolph and Marc Gasol (43 points) ended up scoring almost as much as the Clippers' starting lineup (47 points) when the game was over.
What it means: Take a quick look at the box score and it's not hard to see how the Grizzlies were able to beat the Clippers. They outrebounded the Clippers (45-33), had more points in the paint (40-26), had more second-chance points (22-4), shot more free throws (38-23) and had fewer turnovers (18-10).
Hits: The lone bright spot for the Clippers was they defended the Grizzlies well for the most part. They held Memphis to 38.8 percent shooting from the field, 25 percent from beyond the arc and the Grizzlies hit only 73.7 percent from the free throw line. In fact, the Clippers shot the same percentage from the field and were better from 3-point range (39.1 percent) and on free throws (73.7 percent) than Memphis but were not able to overcome the other discrepancies in the box score.
Misses: One of the consistent forces for the Clippers in this series (and whenever the Clippers play the Grizzlies) has been Bledsoe, but on Thursday night he was a non-factor. Bledsoe was 0-for-4 from the field in a little less than 15 minutes and looked completely lost on the court before he was finally taken out.
Stat of the game: There are so many to choose from in favor of the Grizzlies, but Memphis' rebounding advantage (45-33) and points-in-the-paint advantage (40-26) is key considering how the Clippers have dominated the paint and the boards so far in this series.
Up next: The Clippers never expected to sweep the Grizzlies. In fact, before the Clippers left Los Angeles for Memphis after Wednesday's practice, they said their goal was to steal one game in Memphis and put themselves in a position to close out the series at home in Game 5. The Clippers will get a chance to "steal" that game on Saturday in Game 4.
Del Negro, Hollins in the same coaching boat
If they were coaching in the East this season, their teams would be tied for the second-best record in the conference.
As it is, Del Negro and Hollins find each other facing off again in the first round of the playoffs despite winning 56 games this season, and there may be something more than a second-round date with the Oklahoma City Thunder on the line for both coaches.
Richard Mackson/USA TODAY SportsDespite the Clippers' regular-season success, coach Vinny Del Negro's future with the team is anything but a certainty.Both historically-down franchises have taken a wait-and-see approach to the futures of the most successful coaches they’ve ever had.
It's a reality that both Del Negro and Hollins came to grips with before the season began, and one they know they can't change until the season is over, so they don't spend much time worrying about it.
"Players win games, coaches lose games," Del Negro said. "I can't control those things. What I control is the preparation of the team. All those things will be answered at the end of the season. I believe in what we've done here, I believe my assistant coaches have done a phenomenal job, and I've had great support from ownership and [the] front office ... and everybody to try to put the best team out there."
By name, Del Negro mentioned Gary Sacks, vice president of basketball operations; Eric Miller, director of basketball administration and Andy Roeser, team president.
The problem is Sacks -- who is also not signed past this season -- Roeser and Miller have been complimentary of Del Negro, but have stopped short of saying he will be back next season, and haven't even engaged him or his agent in serious contract negations after picking up the final year of his current three-year deal.
"You need players to win, so I've been pleased with the direction and kind of keeping everybody pulling in the same direction, but all of those things will be answered at the end of the season," Del Negro said. "Right now the focus should be on the players and the kind of commitment that they are putting in to help us be successful, and all of those things will be answered at the end of the season. I want the attention to be on the players. All of those things will be taken care of after the playoffs. There have been discussions early on but nothing significant, and we left it at that and now we're focusing on the playoffs."
Both Del Negro and Hollins led the Clippers and Grizzlies to the best winning percentage in each franchise's history last season, and to the highest win total for each this season. The fact the teams are even playing each other in the first round again is an anomaly. Since the NBA instituted the current playoff format in 1983-84, only one other first-round playoff series featured two teams that won at least 56 games each during the regular season, and that happened 15 years ago.
No answer for Paul or Griffin
Despite the Grizzlies' defensive acumen, they have shown no signs through two games that they can stop Chris Paul, who’s averaging 23.5 points, eight assists and one turnover while shooting 59.3 percent (16-of-27 FGs).
While his buzzer-beater got most of the attention Monday night, Paul’s shots before it were even more impressive. He went one-on-one out of pick-and-rolls against Tony Allen and Marc Gasol, getting the shots he wanted and making them.
“That’s what he does, he closes games,” Allen said.
Griffin, meanwhile, battled foul trouble in Game 1 and never got into rhythm offensively (10 points, 3-of-9 FGs). Still, he was active around the rim, missing a few easy baskets but drawing fouls on Zach Randolph.
Game 2 was a different story. Griffin was dominant from the get-go, blowing by Randolph and using a slew of post moves to erase any confidence the Grizzlies had that they could defend him one-on-one. He had 13 first-quarter points, and 21 overall.
The rule of thumb in the playoffs is the team with the best player in the series generally wins. Paul is undoubtedly the best player on either squad, but if Griffin can assert himself as the second-best player in the series, the Grizzlies will have almost no chance at mounting a serious comeback.
Bench is dominating again
Two games (96 minutes) is a small sample size, but the Clippers' bench lineup of Ronny Turiaf, Lamar Odom, Matt Barnes, Jamal Crawford and Eric Bledsoe has outplayed the Los Angeles Clippers' starting lineup and dominated the Grizzlies’ bench.
In the 16 minutes the group has logged together, it has outscored the Grizzlies by 33.9 points per 100 possessions.
The bench’s 104.7 offensive rating is below-average (the Clippers have a 115 offensive rating in the playoffs), but the bench has been suffocating defensively, registering a 70.9 defensive rating and thwarting any offense the Grizzlies’ second unit has tried to muster.
With the exception of Odom (minus-8.9), each bench player has a positive net rating, led by Bledsoe (plus-32.7). By comparison, every Grizzlies player has a negative net rating, and only one bench player, Quincy Pondexter, has a single-digit negative rating (minus-6.2).
In the regular season, the Clippers’ bench lineup outscored opponents by 11.0 points per 100 possessions. However, they were much better at home (plus-18.3) than on the road (minus-0.6). It’ll be interesting to see if the bench can have a similar impact in Memphis, because if not, coach Vinny Del Negro will have to play the starters extended minutes.
Winning the 50-50 battle
Chris Paul: 'We've got to be greedy'
LOS ANGELES — The first game was a blowout and the second was won on a buzzer-beater, but both were wins for the Los Angeles Clippers, and that means they hold a 2-0 series advantage over the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the Western Conference NBA playoffs.
It’s a good omen for the Clippers, who have been up 2-0 in a playoff series only one other time in franchise history. That time, in 2006, they went on to defeat the Denver Nuggets 4-1. A 2-0 series lead also holds a historical advantage: In NBA playoff history, a team has lost a series only 15 times after winning the first two.
Those things mean little to the Clippers, however. Nobody in their locker room was satisfied after Chris Paul’s buzzer-beating bank shot gave L.A. a 93-91 victory in Game 2 at Staples Center.
“All we did was protect our home court,” Vinny Del Negro said. “You have to win four games. We did what we were supposed to do. We know we’re going to have to play better in Memphis.”
It would be difficult to play better than Paul did down the stretch. He scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half and was the only Clippers player to score in the final 3:46 of the game. The Clippers held a 12-point lead with just under 10 minutes to play and let the Grizzlies get back in to tie the game. L.A. was able to get away with that at home, but trying that on the road would be playing with fire.
“Each game is a game in itself,” Paul said. “You don’t carry over points, possessions, foul trouble or anything like that. We know that they’ll be at home in front of their fans with a lot of energy and they feel like they need to win two games at home now.”
The Clippers don’t need to look too far in the past to know how important it is to protect home-court advantage. Last year, Memphis had home-court advantage against the Clippers, but L.A. won Game 1 in Memphis and eventually won the series in seven games -- with Game 7 also in Memphis.
Those aren’t the only good memories the Clippers have of Memphis, either. Less than two weeks ago, the Clippers went into FedEx Forum with home-court advantage in this series on the line and won 91-87.
“I have complete confidence with our team on the road, especially,” Del Negro said. “We know what we’re in for, but that’s what it’s all about. The best part is the competition and challenging yourself to be better. I’m going to challenge this group to prepare the right way and have the right mindset going in.”
Lately, the Clippers have had a pretty good mindset. The win Monday was their ninth in a row overall, going back to the regular season. A streak like that only serves to boost the confidence level for the players. They showed that Saturday in their 112-91 dismantling of the Grizzlies, and Paul’s game-winner Monday was another shot in the arm.
“Every game in the playoffs is must-win,” forward Lamar Odom said. “It’s all about finishing the season strong. You can only do that with wins. It’s all about doing whatever it takes. We got another game, another inch, took another step toward our goal.”
Going up 2-0 in the series will make the plane ride across the country a much better one for the Clippers.
“In the playoffs it’s very important,” Odom said. “Mentally, it takes a little pressure off you, but at the same time we don’t want to go back there and just -- we want to push them to the limit and even play better than we played tonight.”
Odom has been around long enough to know that the series is far from over. Memphis coach Lionel Hollins can only hope so. He was preaching optimism despite the deficit his team is facing as it heads back home.
“We’ve got to go home and hold serve,” Hollins said. “That’s what they did. We almost got one here. It’s not doom and gloom. It was just a tough, hard-fought battle, and we’ve got to go home, and there are going to be two hard-fought battles there. And we’ve got to come away with two of them.”
Grizzlies guard Mike Conley expects the Memphis crowd to come out in full force. The fact that the team is down 2-0 is enough of a rallying cry, but it means even more that the Clippers are coming to town because of all the big wins L.A. has had in Memphis over the past year.
“When the Clippers come to town it’s obviously a different type of crowd because we have a history with them,” Conley said. “We’ve played a bunch of good games with them. We expect it to be loud and crazy and hopefully we can take care of that business at home.”
The Clippers aren’t exactly in a must-win situation on the road. They can merely win all of their home games and still win the series, but that’s not a thought that is crossing their heads as they head to Memphis.
“We’ve got to go down to Memphis and try to steal a game,” Paul said. “We’ve got to be greedy.”
Rapid Reaction: Clippers 93, Grizzlies 91
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 93-91 in thrilling fashion Monday night at Staples Center and took a 2-0 lead in the first-round series of the NBA Western Conference playoffs.
A quick breakdown:
How it happened: Chris Paul made an off-balance, one-handed bank shot over Tony Allen with 0.1 seconds to play as the Clippers held off a late rally by Memphis. The Grizzlies tried a desperation in-bounds play, but the shot missed.
Moments before Paul’s game winner, Marc Gasol tied the game at 91 on a wide-open dunk with 13.9 seconds to play coming out of a Memphis timeout. The Clippers immediately called timeout and set up Paul’s game winner.
L.A. led by as many as 12 early in the fourth quarter and still had an 85-76 lead with 6:50 to play. The Grizzlies, who made only two of their first eight shots in the fourth quarter, stormed back and made four shots in a row to tie the game at 89-89 with 1:37 to play.
Turning point: The Clippers began the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run that helped them open an 83-71 lead. The key sequence came when Lamar Odom blocked a Marc Gasol shot with 11 minutes remaining in the game, and then 15 seconds later Odom fed a bounce pass to Eric Bledsoe for a two-handed dunk. The crowd-raising sequence gave the Clippers an 81-71 lead and marked the first time either team had led by double digits in the game.
Player of the game: Paul had 24 points and nine assists on 9-of-17 shooting. He scored eight of his points in the final 3:43 of the game, including the game-winning shot, and was the only Clippers player to score in the final six minutes of the game.
What it means: The Clippers have a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Only 15 teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a series in NBA playoff history.
What’s next: The series will reconvene Thursday in Memphis. The teams will play two games there and return to Los Angeles on April 30 for Game 5 if necessary.
Crawford congratulates Smith on Sixth Man
It also helps that Crawford has some experience in dealing with the snub.
Ed Szczepanski/USA TODAY SportsJamal Crawford set a franchise record this season with 149 3-pointers.“That’s twice in the season, but congrats to J.R.,” Crawford said. “I think he had a heck of a season as well.”
Crawford said he wouldn’t let the disappointment get to him. He said he learned at the All-Star break that awards and honors such as those given out by the NBA are decided by a vote, and voters can go certain ways for different reasons.
“I learned with the All-Star Game that you can only control what you can control,” Crawford said. “Whenever it’s up to the coaches or media or whatever, you expect the unexpected.”
Coach Vinny Del Negro campaigned for Crawford to win the Sixth Man Award and expressed disappointment Monday that the 13-year veteran didn’t win it. He pointed out Crawford’s knack for fourth-quarter scoring and clutch performance at the free throw line this season.
Crawford set a franchise record with 149 3-pointers, averaged 16.5 points off the bench and shot 87.1 percent from the free throw line in helping the Clippers to their best season in franchise history.
“He’s been a huge catalyst for us from day one,” Del Negro said. “It’s hard for me to look at it and say Jamal didn’t deserve that. Other guys are obviously very deserving, but you’d be hard-pressed, I think, to find somebody more deserving than Jamal.”
Crawford had a more consistent season than Smith from beginning to end, but Smith emerged in the second half and was the second-leading scorer on the Knicks. He also plays in a bigger media market than Crawford, and the vote was determined by the media.
“I can’t say I was shocked, honestly, because I had seen where it started going over the last couple of weeks,” Crawford said. “I look at the whole season from start to finish, but I’d seen where people started kind of going with it toward the end.”
Although disappointed, Crawford said he could take solace in the fact that he was in the conversation for the award and the All-Star Game. He had an off year in Portland last season, and whispers around the league were that he was losing a bit of his game, so proving his doubters wrong was his main goal.
“To be perfectly, perfectly honest, coming in to the season, winning the Sixth Man or All-Star wasn’t on my radar,” he said. “It was more just kind of getting my respect back because people thought I had lost a step going to Portland, and that was a heck of a year and it motivated me to be ready coming into this year, so that was No. 1.”
Eric Bledsoe rises to the challenge
Bledsoe averaged 3.3 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds during the regular season last season but those averages spiked to 7.9 points, 2.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds during the playoffs. This season, Bledsoe averaged 8.5 points, 3.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds during the regular season but had 15 points, four assists and six rebounds in Game 1.
Harry How/Getty ImagesEric Bledsoe has started the 2013 playoffs much the same way he did last season's."Bled is one of the best guards in our league," Paul said after practice Sunday. "I've said it all season long. I'm enjoying playing with him right now because there's no way he can be here next year because we probably won't have enough money to pay him. He should be a starting point guard in this league next year."
Bledsoe is actually under contract for next season at $2.6 million, but Paul's words may be the clearest indication yet that he fully intends to sign the five-year, $108 million contract extension the Clippers plan to offer him in the offseason. He knows as long as he is the Clippers' point guard; there simply is no room for Bledsoe.
Chauncey Billups, who had 14 points in Game 1, also said last week that he fully intends to play next season and would like to return to the Clippers. Willie Green, who started 60 games this season at shooting guard, could also return next season as the Clippers hold a team option at just $1.4 million.
So with his trade value at an all-time high and the Clippers having a potentially crowded backcourt next season, the team could end up trading Bledsoe to upgrade at another position. Bledsoe was rumored to be included in a package with DeAndre Jordan for Kevin Garnett during the All-Star break, but that never materialized.
The Clippers, however, don't need to worry about Bledsoe's future right now as they figure out how to utilize him while they still have him. One option that the Clippers toyed with Saturday is playing Bledsoe along with Paul and Billups, which helped the Clippers close out the game.
"It gives you almost like a three-headed monster," Paul said. "It almost took me back to my college days [at Wake Forest] when I was with Justin Gray and Taron Downey. Bled's that blur. He probably runs faster than me and Chauncey put together. And me and Chauncey are a little more crafty and things like that. ... I think it gave us a little more versatility. They didn't know who to guard."
'Three-headed monster' keys Clippers victory
The Clippers used three point guards at the same time and the lineup was instrumental in putting away the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series at Staples Center.
Harry How/Getty ImagesChauncey Billups and Chris Paul are only two-thirds of the Clippers trio of guards who played together down the stretch Saturday. Eric Bledsoe is the third."It gives you almost like a three-headed monster," said Paul, who scored five of his game-high 23 points in the final five minutes. "It just gave us some versatility. They didn't know who to guard. I think it was just something different and it worked for us tonight."
This is not a lineup that has been on the floor together much this season, and it turned into a bit of a secret weapon against a familiar opponent in Memphis. The teams played a tight, seven-game playoff series last season, but Billups was out injured. This season, Billups played only one of the four games between the teams, and Bledsoe missed that game.
Paul also missed a game against Memphis this season, so this was definitely the first time the Grizzlies had seen the lineup in person. After watching a close game turn into a rout with those three on the court at the same time, the Grizzlies can only hope it's the last time they see the lineup.
"I guess Coach had a great feeling about that lineup and wanted to stick with that," Bledsoe said. "I think we did a great job with him having that confidence in us."
All three can shoot, and they did it well Saturday. Bledsoe was a scorching 7-for-7 from the field. Paul made 7 of 11 shots and Billups made 4-of-8 for 14 points. Paul and Billups combined for five 3-point baskets in eight attempts.
Their shooting abilities are enough of a concern, but add in the fact that Paul and Billups have been All-Star point guards on multiple occasions, and Bledsoe -- in his third season -- is a rising star, and the lineup can cause headaches for opponents.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Arash Markazi
Arash Markazi joined ESPNLosAngeles.com as a columnist and writer after five years with Sports Illustrated. Markazi has also written for Slam, King, Vibe and Playboy and is on the board of directors for the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/arashmarkazi.
Ramona Shelburne
Ramona Shelburne is a columnist and writer for ESPNLosAngeles.com. She spent seven years as a columnist and sportswriter at the Los Angeles Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ramonashelburne.
UPCOMING GAMES
| W-L | PF | PA | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM | 3-2 | 96.6 | 92.6 | 2-0 | 1-2 | W3 | 3-2 |
| LAC | 2-3 | 92.6 | 96.6 | 2-1 | 0-2 | L3 | 2-3 |
| W-L | PF | PA | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM | 3-2 | 96.6 | 92.6 | 2-0 | 1-2 | W3 | 3-2 |
| LAC | 2-3 | 92.6 | 96.6 | 2-1 | 0-2 | L3 | 2-3 |
| W-L | PF | PA | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAC | 2-3 | 92.6 | 96.6 | 2-1 | 0-2 | L3 | 2-3 |
| MEM | 3-2 | 96.6 | 92.6 | 2-0 | 1-2 | W3 | 3-2 |