213hoops.com
Clippers Top Grizzlies 128-119 in Sloppy Performance
It certainly was not pretty, but the Clippers won 128-119 going away in Memphis, with the final score looking closer than the game actually was.
Summary
The Clippers were sloppy early, with a few bad turnovers and losing Bane on a couple threes. At the 7:00 mark, they’d scored only five points, but trailed 9-5 due to the Grizzlies’ lack of firepower. At that point Russ came in, and the Clippers’ energy picked up, but so did the Grizzlies’ offense. The teams got unlocked offensively for a bit, and the score was 16-14 at the four minute mark. The rest of the Clippers’ bench came in, but that did not help their offensive woes. Kawhi’s shotmaking was the only thing working, and he had eight of the Clippers’ 23 points in the 1st frame.
Things changed on a dime in the second period. The now usual Harden-Norm-Amir-PG-Theis unit went to work in a hurry, catching fire on offense through slick ball movement while shutting down Memphis. A 12-3 spurt got the Clippers up 6 and forced a Memphis timeout. The Grizzlies were able to start scoring again, but the Clippers made their first 10 shots in the period, highlighted by some great play from Amir and Theis. The starters checked in around the 4:40 mark when the Grizzlies cut the lead back to 7, and they started growing the lead once more. Despite some subpar defense, the Clippers led 65-53 after two, with a 42-27 edge in the period. PG led the way with 17 points, while Harden had 8 points and 7 assists.
A 9-2 spurt by the Clippers saw them go up by 19, with both sides of the court once again looking good. At that point, maybe some complacency set in, because they got sloppy – and frustrated by some non-calls. Poor turnovers and allowing Grizzly offensive rebounds kept the Grizz somewhat attached, though they couldn’t make enough shots to really put pressure on. Then, at the 5:05 mark and with the Clippers up 19, Bane stepped on Kawhi’s foot on a drive and left the game with the injury, making the Grizzlies even more short-handed. Despite this, the Grizzlies grimly hung in, and the Clippers led by just 100-79 going to the 4th.
The Clippers kept their usual 2nd unit in for the 4th, but with Russ instead of Harden. The Clippers’ offense wasn’t working too well, and when the Grizzlies got the lead down to 16, Ty took a timeout and put Harden back in. Order was restored, though Harden really didn’t have much to do with it – Paul George did nearly all of the scoring for the Clippers. Even though the Clippers’ defense was bad and they gave up a bunch of offensive boards, PG was hot enough to get the Clippers back up by 20 with around 4 minutes to go, initiating a very sloppy but ultimately boring garbage time. The Clippers won, 128-119, and led from the early 2nd quarter on.
Notes
Classic Paul George: Paul George put in a season high 37 points on a fiery 12-18 shooting performance, including 7-7 from deep a perfect 6-6 at the line. He simply could not miss, and any time the Clippers needed a bucket he was there. I do wish he’d attack more, but on a night he was on fire from deep I didn’t mind. He’s such a great three point shooter that his taking 10 threes a night should be the norm, and I’m glad he’s finally hoisting from deep consistently. This was his 13th straight game of scoring 20 or more points, his longest streak in a Clippers’ jersey, which is great to see. That said, he had four unbelievably awful turnovers, which is what makes this the perfect PG performance.
Scorching Hot Coffey: While he finished with a +/- of
-4 due to a dreadful garbage time unit that went -11, Amir Coffey had a
fantastic game. He made all six of his shots, including a three, for 13 points
in 26 minutes. His defense was active, with two steals, and he played typically
low-mistake basketball. He’s undersized for a forward spot and his lack of
rebounding can hurt the Clippers at times, but he’s just a solid rotation
player who gives the Clippers a nice jolt of energy and steadiness. Glad to see
him in the rotation for an extended period and playing well.
Bad Rebounding: It didn’t haunt them in this game,
but some of the Clippers’ rebounding woes returned in this one. The Grizzlies
collected an incredible 17 offensive rebounds, and it felt like more than that.
They were quicker and more active to the ball, and the effort on the glass on a
lot of possessions felt decidedly subpar. Maybe the Clippers didn’t give their
full effort for this one – and it’s hard to blame them, really. But they need
to make sure to tighten up the boards against better teams.
Clippers Top Grizzlies 128-119 in Sloppy Performance
Robert Flom