|
MEMPHIS -- Chris Paul spent most of Monday fixated on his tablet after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies. It was Paul’s turnover late in the game that cost the Clippers a chance to win on a night when his 30 points and 10 assists were the reason they were even in position to win the game.   But as soon as Monday turned into Tuesday, Paul said he would put the game behind him until he faced the Grizzlies again on Friday. That’s when he would get a chance to exact some revenge. He did just that, as the Clippers secured arguably their biggest win of the season, beating Memphis 97-79, after losing eight of the previous nine games to the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies are a team the Clippers will likely see in the playoffs if they hope to make a deep postseason run. Over the past couple of seasons, the Clippers have had a hard time adjusting to their physical style. “They’re more physical, at least they have been more physical,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “They play their way. They are one of the two or three teams in the league that have accepted who they are, and they never get out of it. That way is pretty much the opposite of the way we want to play. The games we’ve won, we’ve played our way, and the games they’ve won, they’ve played their way.” On Friday, the Clippers found a way to play their way in a low-scoring game that at times turned into a “wrestling match,” as Rivers likes to say, but each time, the Clippers found a way to break free. After being tied at 41 in the first half, the Clippers went on a 21-6 run to start the third quarter and were up by as many as 16 points in the game. “We don’t worry about their [physicality], why should we match it,” Rivers said. “They’re big and strong, we’re quick and fast. If we spend our time trying to wrestle them, they’re probably going to win.” In the end the Clippers ended up winning by refusing to get stuck in a wrestling match with the Grizzlies and by Paul refusing to let the game come down to the end this time. He finished with 19 points -- scoring 11 in the fourth quarter -- and 13 assists and adding a Ric Flair-like, “Whoooo!” after his final basket of the game. Well, maybe the Clippers didn’t mind a little wrestling at the end after all. Under review: Matt Barnes has had his fair share of run-ins with officials over the years. In fact, he picked up a technical early in Friday’s game for screaming after a foul. And one thing he normally says in the aftermath of a fine, suspension or other league-related discipline is he hopes one day officials will be judged and analyzed the same way players are. It might not be exactly what he was hoping for before Friday’s game, but the NBA announced a new transparency in which the league will provide play-by-play reports regarding all calls and material non-calls that occur in the last two minutes of close games and during entire overtime periods. “What about the other 46 minutes,” Barnes said. “I just think everything we do is under review and under scrutiny, and they’re on the court with us. ... It’s not like it’s going to change anything drastically. They’re not perfect just like we’re not perfect, but they should be held to a higher standard. You have to be held accountable for your actions. If you mess up a call or call a crazy T [technical], everyone should know about it -- just like when we miss a free throw or a big shot in the game, everyone knows about it.” Raywatch: When Rivers was asked before the game if he had checked in with free agent guard Ray Allen recently, he smiled and said, “I’ve check in with a lot of people.” When asked if Allen had indicated to him if he will play this season, Rivers said, “No, not yet.” Up next: The Clippers will travel to Chicago to play the Bulls on Sunday as they begin the back end of their four-game road trip, which wraps up in Minnesota on Monday.
|
