Clippers Top Grizzlies, Solidify Hold On 5-Seed
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Austin Rivers scored 20 points, and Chris Paul added 19 points and seven assists to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 114-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
The Clippers solidified their hold on the fifth seed in the Western Conference, while Memphis continued a skid that has reached four straight.
J.J. Redick scored 15 points, Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin had 14 apiece, and Griffin added 12 rebounds. Los Angeles benefited from 51 percent shooting.
Marc Gasol led Memphis with 20 points, and Zach Randolph had 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Los Angeles rebounded from a loss at Minnesota on Wednesday night for its third victory in four games. The Clippers are three games ahead of Memphis for the fifth spot.
The Grizzlies fell into a tie with Oklahoma City for the sixth seed.
Los Angeles outscored Memphis 31-20 in the third quarter, extending a nine-point halftime advantage to 85-65 at the end of three. The crowning blow came when Crawford connected from 49 feet as the horn sounded.
From there, Memphis never threatened in the fourth, Los Angeles stretching the lead to as many as 22 points in the final frame.
While Los Angeles was converting better than half its shots, including 11 of 30 from outside the arc, Memphis was limited to 45 percent shooting overall, making only 7 of 20 3-pointers.
Mike Conley, who had 13 points, missed all four of his shots from outside the arc. Troy Daniels was the only Memphis players with any success from distances, missing one of his five shots from 3-point range en route to 13 points.
Los Angeles built a 13-point first-half advantage with a 13-2 spurt in the second quarter to help carry a 54-45 lead at the break.
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