The Clippers got a huge win in terms of their possible playoff position on Saturday, by rolling into Memphis and taking down the Grizzlies 91-87.
The victory puts L.A. in the driver’s seat for home court advantage in a potential first round matchup against these same Grizzlies, and gives the team a chance of moving up to the three spot in the West should it win the remaining three games on the schedule.
The game was tight throughout, and came down to the final few possessions.
Memphis led by five with 9:32 to play, but the Clippers put together a 14-0 run over the next three and a half minutes to go up by nine. The Grizzlies battled back to within two, and had possession with 18 seconds remaining. Mike Conley tried a floater over DeAndre Jordan that was blocked, but Memphis retained possession.
An inbounds pass attempt by Conley to Zach Randolph with five seconds left was broken up by Blake Griffin, who then leaked out on the break and was fouled by Jerryd Bayless. It was ruled a clear path foul, so even though Griffin missed both free throws, the Clippers retained possession and Jamal Crawford hit the two free throws that gave us the game’s final margin.
Caron Butler sat out the second half with a sore knee, which allowed Grant Hill to see his first action since March 30. Hill made two big buckets and came through with a couple of blocked shots in his 11 minutes of action, and 10 of those came in the fourth quarter. A healthy Grant Hill -- the version we saw a glimpse of in this one -- would be a huge boost to the Clippers’ depth in the playoffs.
On the Memphis side, the same issues the team has struggled with all season long became a problem once again in the fourth quarter, when the Grizzlies managed just 14 points. The lack of a legitimate and consistent offensive threat remains a problem, and one that I’m not sure ever gets solved with this current roster, and definitely not in time to win a playoff series.
The Clippers are in a strong position to remain the four seed entering the playoffs, but they also have a chance of moving into the three spot should the Nuggets lose one of their remaining three games. It isn’t likely, however, considering that Denver is 20-3 in its last 23 games, and ends the season by hosting Portland, playing at Milwaukee, and then hosting the Suns.
It’s more than likely we’ll see the Clippers and the Grizzlies in a rematch of their epic playoff battle from a season ago. L.A. won a Game 7 in Memphis to close the Grizzlies out last year, but this time around, the Clippers are in line to have the home court advantage.