Five things to take from Clippers’ 90-87 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies

Chris Paul reacts after having the ball stolen from him with 1.5 seconds left in the Clippers’ 90-87 loss to Memphis/Photo by Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

 

– There really is nothing for Clippers fans to complain about regarding this loss. The Grizzlies (41-14) have the third-best record in the NBA and a day earlier showed just how good they are by outscoring Portland 34-15 in the fourth quarter to win 98-92 at Portland. Yet, without Blake Griffin, the Clippers almost beat them.

– Afterward, coach Doc Rivers praised the effort Tony Allen did defending Clippers sixth-man Jamal Crawford. Crawford scored 15 points, but made just 4 of 15 from the field.

Chris Paul is human. He had a great game, scoring 30 points with 10 assists, two steals and two blocks. Unfortunately for him, the only thing most fans will remember is his turnover with 1.5 seconds left that sealed the Clippers’ fate. It’s not fair, but it’s reality.

– The Clippers did a nice job harassing Memphis’ Zach Randolph into a 2-for-12 shooting night. Randolph scored just seven points, well of his season average of 16.6.

– One of the reasons why this was such an exciting game is because Memphis coach David Joerger didn’t utilize the hack-a-DJ tactic recently employed against the Clippers by Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Jordan shot only four free throws, making one. He did have 17 rebounds, and he leads the league with a 13.9 average.