Milos Teodosic scored a career-best 18 points for the Clippers, who halted a three-game slide. DeAndre Jordan contributed 15 points and nine rebounds, Blake Griffin had 14 points and eight boards and Wesley Johnson matched his career best of six steals.
Mario Chalmers had 17 points and 10 assists, Jarrell Martin also scored 17 points and Dillon Brooks had 15 for the Grizzlies, who lost for the third time in the past four games.
Marc Gasol had 13 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and matched a season best of five blocked shots while recording his fourth career triple-double, the most in franchise history. Andrew Harrison and Ivan Rabb added 12 points apiece.
Williams was 12-of-19 from the field -- including 4-of-10 from 3-point range -- and 12-of-14 from the free throw line while scoring 30 or more points for the 15th time this season.
Los Angeles took an 83-76 edge into the final stanza, and the lead quickly reached 11 on back-to-back dunks by Montrezl Harrell. Consecutive baskets a short time later by Harrell and Sam Dekker boosted the lead to 92-78 with 8:43 to go before Gasol's 3-pointer and Martin's dunk allowed Memphis to creep within nine.
The Grizzlies trailed 103-95 after Wayne Selden's dunk with 3:15 to play, but Williams scored the next four points to reach 40 for the fourth time this season. Jordan added an inside basket to make it 109-95 with 1:23 remaining before the Clippers cleared the bench.
Williams had 22 first-half points, as the Clippers led 58-50 at the break.
Los Angeles held a 37-29 advantage after Jordan's dunk with 7:33 left in the half before the Grizzlies answered with a 12-2 surge to take a two-point lead. The Clippers regained control with a 17-4 burst that concluded with a 3-pointer by Williams to make it 56-45 with 2:10 to play.
Memphis pulled within 61-59 on Harrison's 3-pointer with 8:39 left in the third quarter. Los Angeles led by eight after a 3-pointer by Teodosic with 6:41 remaining and held a nine-point lead late in the quarter on another 3-pointer by Williams.
--Field Level Media
L.A. Clippers | Memphis | |
Lou Williams 40 | Scoring | Mario Chalmers 17 |
Lou Williams 10 | Assists | Mario Chalmers 10 |
DeAndre Jordan 9 | Rebounds | Marc Gasol 12 |
Lou Williams 12 | Free Throws Made | Mario Chalmers 3 |
Wesley Johnson 6 | Steals | Mario Chalmers 1 |
Wesley Johnson 3 | Blocks | Marc Gasol 5 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
L.A. Clippers | 109 | 48.8 | 10-27 | 21-29 | 23 | 36 | 6 | 15 | 10 |
Memphis | 100 | 48.1 | 8-27 | 14-18 | 31 | 43 | 9 | 1 | 20 |