National Basketball Association
Memphis 111, LA Clippers 107
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials:
#24 Mike Callahan, #71 Rodney Mott, #72 J.T. Orr
Attendance:
19060
By The Sports Xchange
LOS ANGELES -- J.J. Redick believes the Los Angeles Clippers got caught up in their own hype.
Mike Conley had 30 points and eight assists, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 111-107 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night at Staples Center.
Los Angeles (10-2), owners of the NBA's best record, saw its seven-game winning streak end.
"Sometimes you forget when you win a series of games by a lot, you forget how hard it is to win in this league," said Redick, who scored a season-high 29 points, hitting seven 3-pointers.
The Clippers pounded their previous five opponents at Staples by an average of 25.2 points per game.
"And the other thing is sometimes you get a little comfortable and you forget what makes you good," Redick said.
Marc Gasol scored 26 points, including the go-ahead bucket, for the Grizzlies (6-5). Memphis forward Zach Randolph came off the bench to score 18 points.
Blake Griffin had 25 points and eight rebounds, while Jamal Crawford chipped in 15 points for the Clippers, who gave up 100 points for the first time at home.
"This was a huge win. It was a great win to get on the road," said Conley, who connected on 9 of 12 shots from the floor and 7 of 9 3-pointers. He also had three steals.
Crawford's bucket and a tip-in by DeAndre Jordan knotted the score at 105 with 1:41 left in the contest.
Chris Paul's jumper with 1:03 remaining lifted Los Angeles to a two-point edge, but the Clippers never scored again.
"This (loss) stings because I am the point guard," said Paul, who finished with nine points on 3-of-11 shooting with five steals and six assists. "It's almost like a quarterback doing a two-minute drill. When you get in those end-of-the-game situations, you have to figure out a way to win."
James Ennis made one of two foul shots with 26.3 seconds remaining, pulling Memphis within one. Then the Grizzlies stole the Clippers' inbound pass with 23.1 seconds remaining.
"We were going to trap regardless of where they threw the ball in and try to get a steal before we decided to foul them," Conley said. "Thankfully, we got a good opportunity to get it in the corner and get a good trap on them, and Marc did a good job of having his hands high and taking the ball."
Gasol made a 3-pointer with 14.4 seconds left, boosting Memphis to a 109-107 lead. Redick's turnover with 4.3 seconds left clinched the win for the Grizzlies, as Conley hit a pair of free throws.
Memphis prevailed despite blowing a 16-point lead in the second half.
"That is basketball. Basketball is a game of runs," said Gasol, who was 4 of 5 on 3-point tries and 10 of 21 overall from the field. "You have leads, they make a run, and it happens. It's how you react to those teams that matters."
The Grizzlies skated to a 61-46 advantage at halftime. Conley scored 18 points in the first half by hitting all six of his shots from the floor, including four 3-point attempts.
Griffin led the Clippers with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting before intermission.
In the third quarter, a 14-5 surge allowed Los Angeles to slice the gap to 66-60 after a trey by Redick at 7:29. However, the Grizzlies scored eight straight points, capped by a JaMychal Green jumper for a 76-60 lead with 4:37 left in the period.
A 10-4 run by the Clippers closed the gap to 83-76 heading into the fourth.
Memphis hit 15 of 26 from long range. Los Angeles finished 9 of 25 from behind the arc.
"It is a lesson," Griffin said. "Putting ourselves in such a big hole makes late games so intense for every little thing. It messes you up. I think it is good. We love to win them all, but (a loss) will be good for us."
NOTES: Memphis coach David Fizdale disputed an ESPN report this week saying the Grizzlies stopped staying at hotels branded or owned by President-elect Donald Trump. "We made those decisions long before (the election)," said Fizdale, who is in his first season with the Grizzlies. "It was never about him at all. I just wanted to stay at places I knew and felt good at." ... Grizzlies G Tony Allen (right groin strain) missed his fourth contest. Fizdale said Allen is slowly improving and could return in the next few games. ... Clippers F Wesley Johnson (left heel contusion) missed his third consecutive game. Johnson is listed as day-to-day. ... Both clubs resume play Friday. The Grizzlies cap their four-game trip at the Dallas Mavericks, while the Clippers visit the Sacramento Kings.
Top Game Performances
Memphis |
|
LA Clippers |
Mike Conley 30 |
Scoring |
J.J. Redick 29 |
Mike Conley 8 |
Assists |
Chris Paul 6 |
JaMychal Green 10 |
Rebounds |
DeAndre Jordan 14 |
Mike Conley 5 |
Free Throws Made |
Blake Griffin 9 |
Mike Conley 3 |
Steals |
Chris Paul 5 |
Andrew Harrison 1 |
Blocks |
Blake Griffin 2 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Memphis
|
111 |
48.8 |
15-26 |
16-19 |
24 |
43 |
2 |
6 |
17 |
LA Clippers
|
107 |
45.7 |
9-25 |
24-34 |
15 |
35 |
7 |
13 |
8 |
Upcoming Games
-
LA Clippers will play their next game on the road against Sacramento. The Clippers have a W/L % of .818 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
-
Memphis will play their next game on the road against Dallas. The Grizzlies have a W/L % of .200 after a win and .833 after a loss.