Print
RSS Feeds
E-News Sign Up
Share on Facebook
Eddie Jones scored 23 points, Mike Miller added 21 and both made clutch 3-pointers down the stretch as the Grizzlies held off the Los Angeles Clippers, 95-85, for their fifth straight win.
|
Clippers-Grizzlies: Play |
"Our thing is we're just trying to win and get in a groove where we can continue it into the playoffs," Jones said. "You start worrying about seeds, then your focus isn't on winning games."
However, seeding is important. In the first round of the playoffs, the fifth seed faces the fourth seed, which almost certainly will be Dallas or San Antonio, a pair of squads tracking 60 wins - and one of whom must finish second in the Southwest Division.
By finishing sixth, the Grizzlies - or the Clippers - would face the third seed, which is likely to be the Denver Nuggets. Both Memphis and Los Angeles have a chance to hold home-court advantage against Denver (39-30), the Northwest Division leader that is nowhere near as formidable a foe as San Antonio or Dallas.
However, the Grizzlies have not won in Denver since Nov. 18, 1997, which may not seem so appealing, either.
"It is too early to be talking about the playoffs," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said. "When do you pay attention to the playoffs? You pay attention when there is an asterisk by your name that says you have clinched a playoff spot. There is no guarantee in this league. Nothing is concrete until your name is on the paper with an asterisk on it."
"We have to look forward to not just being in the playoffs, but being prepared to do well in the playoffs," said Clippers forward Elton Brand, who never has played in the postseason. "We can't worry about matchups. Every game now is a must win. You want the highest seed you can get. That's what should be important to us."
The Grizzlies certainly played as if they wanted the fifth seed, racing to leads of 20-10 in the first quarter and 34-20 in the second period.
A 3-pointer by Miller made it 65-49 with 2:22 left in the third quarter before the Clippers finally began to play. They scored the last six points of the period, then used a 10-0 surge to get back in it in the final quarter.
"We played in spurts tonight, and I'm trying to convince this team that at this time of year, you have to be tough and you have to play 48 minutes," said Clippers guard Cuttino Mobley, who left in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle and did not return. "It's been very difficult for us to learn that, and not just accept being in the playoffs. You have to concentrate on W's."
A basket by Shaun Livingston capped the run and cut the deficit to 74-71 with 3:36 to play. But Miller and Jones drained 3-pointers and Chucky Atkins stole an inbounds pass and sank two free throws to seal it at 82-71 with 1:47 to go.
"Coach (Mike Dunleavy) had us prepared for an intense game today, but honestly, we just didn't execute," said Brand, who had 25 points and 11 rebounds. "The game wasn't that intense. They just outhustled us. It wasn't like a battle of wills out there. They just out-executed us."
Atkins and Lorenzen Wright scored 11 points each and Miller grabbed 14 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who grabbed a 2-1 lead in the season series. Memphis completed a 5-1 homestand.
"In reality, we're trying to win every game," Memphis forward Shane Battier said. "That's the bottom line."
Sam Cassell scored 21 points for the Clippers, who surrendered 24 points off 24 turnovers in their second straight loss.
"We had 24 turnovers. We need 14," Dunleavy said. "If we had 14 tonight, we would have won the game like we usually do when we keep turnovers down."
RSS Feeds
NBA.COM is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network.