Doc Rivers saddened by death of former Knicks teammate Anthony Mason

Obit Mason Basketball

Anthony Mason throws down a dunk during the 1994 NBA Finals for the New York Knicks/Photo by Associated Press

 

Anthony Mason, a power forward who toiled for 13 seasons in the NBA, died Saturday from a heart ailment. He was just 48.

Mason played five seasons with the New York Knicks. Clippers coach Doc Rivers was Mason’s teammate for two-plus of those seasons.

“The passing of Anthony Mason is so sad,” Rivers said in a statement. “He was a true warrior and a great teammate. He embodied what it meant to be a Knick. I loved him and my prayers go out to his family.”

 

Five things to take from Clippers’ big 97-79 victory over Grizzlies in Memphis

Glen “Big Baby” Davis reacts during the Clippers’ 97-79 victory at Memphis on Friday/Photo by Brandon Dill, Associated Press

 

– The importance of this victory should not be minimized. The Clippers (38-21) were coming off consecutive losses for the first time since losing Blake Griffin to an elbow injury. Four days after not playing well down the stretch and losing by three points at home to Memphis, the Clippers dominated the Grizzlies on their home court. Without Griffin. They did it with terrific defense, too, holding Memphis to just 37.9 percent shooting.

– Speaking of Griffin, he has now missed the past eight games because of the staph infection that was surgically removed from his right elbow. Four of those victories were against Dallas (5th, Western Conference), Houston (3rd, West), San Antonio (7th, West) and now Memphis (2nd, West). How many people would have thought the Clippers would have that many quality victories without Griffin? Not many.

– Safe to say, Chris Paul wasn’t tripping off his turnover at the end of Monday’s loss to Memphis that was responsible for the Clippers not getting off a shot that could have won the game. All Paul did in this one was score 19 points with 13 assists, four rebounds, two steals and just one turnover in 40 minutes.

– Man, DeAndre Jordan is not messing around out there, is he? He scored 15 points. But that’s just the start of it. He also grabbed a whopping 22 rebounds with three assists, two steals and three blocks. Other than that, he didn’t do a thing. Jordan is averaging 17.1 points and 18.5 rebounds in the eight games Griffin has missed. He’s averaging 16.0 points and 17.2 rebounds in 11 games in February. In four games, he had at least 20 rebounds with a high of 27 in a Feb. 9 win at Dallas. He entered play Friday averaging 11.2 points and 14.0 rebounds.

– The shooting guard tandem of J.J. Redick and sixth-man Jamal Crawford continues to be one of the best around. Redick scored 18 points on 6 of 12 shooting – 2 of 5 from 3-point range – and Crawford scored 19 points on 8 of 16 shooting, also 2 of 5 from beyond the arc. Crawford has averaged 21.2 points in the eight games missed by Griffin, Redick has averaged 15.0. Teams either have to worry about being out-dazzlied by Crawford or out-worked by runaround Redick.

VIDEO: Check out this pretty assist from DeAndre Jordan in Clippers’ huge 97-79 victory over Memphis at FedEx Forum

The Clippers ventured to Memphis on Friday to take on a Grizzlies team that was in second place in the Western Conference standings with a record of 41-15, 23-5 at home. Thanks in part to yet another terrific effort by DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers (38-21) walloped Memphis 97-79 at FedEx Forum in Memphis. Jordan had 15 points, 22 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and two steals. Other than that, he didn’t do a thing. Here is one of his assists, and it’s very pretty:

Jamal Crawford just loves taking shots that others might not even attempt

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

One thing about sixth-man Jamal Crawford, not only does he have the ability to get scalding hot and carry a team with a grip of points in rapid fashion, some of the shots he takes and makes are extremely difficult. He sinks 28-foot 3-pointers with defenders in his face, he makes them falling down and out of bounds, and so on.

Crawford tries to explain.

“I have just always, ever since I was young, made those shots that (to) other people are difficult,” he said. “I’m not trying to brag about it, but they’re really not that difficult for me, honestly.

“Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t, but I’m really comfortable taking them.”

Crawford scored a game-high 24 points in Wednesday’s 110-105 loss at Houston.

The Clippers (37-21) on Friday night at 5 will play at Memphis (41-15). The Clippers are sixth in the Western Conference standings, the Grizzlies are second.

Chris Paul bemoans all the points Rockets earned from 3-point, FT lines

Chris Paul

Chris Paul/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

The Clippers had beaten the Houston Rockets twice before losing to them 110-105 on Wednesday at Houston. The difference, according to Chris Paul, was the success Houston had from both the 3-point line as well as the free-throw line on Wednesday.

Houston was 10 of 37 (27 percent) from 3-point range and made 11 of 15 (73.3 percent) from the free-throw line in a 102-85 loss to the Clippers on Nov. 28 at Houston. The Rockets made just 9 of 45 from (20 percent) from 3-point range, but made 18 of 22 (81.8 percent) from the free-throw line in a 110-95 loss to the Clippers on Feb. 11 at Staples Center.

On Wednesday, Houston made 17 of 44 (38.6 percent) from 3-point range and 21 of 30 (70 percent) from the free-throw line.

That means the Rockets scored 41 points combined from 3-point range and the free-throw line on Nov. 28 and 45 points on Feb. 11. On Wednesday, that number rose dramatically to 72 points  combined.

“They got way too many 3s,” Paul said post-game. “Threes and free throws is what they do. That’s why we’ve been so successful on them, by not letting them get both. And tonight they got everything.”