Five things to take from Clippers’ 113-102 loss at Memphis

Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) controls the ball against Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 19, 2016, in Memphis, Tenn.

Zach Randolph, left, of Memphis is guarded by the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan during the Grizzlies’ 113-102 victory on Saturday in Memphis/AP photo by Brandon Dill

 

– The Clippers had no answer for Memphis power forward Zach Randolph, who had not played the previous six games because of right knee soreness. Randolph scored 28 points on 10 of 19 shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds and doled out 10 assists for his first career triple-double.

– When Jeff Green left the game with 6:23 to play in the third quarter after having his head cut open by an errant Zach Randolph elbow, the Clippers trailed just 71-68. Less than five minutes later – at the 1:47 mark – the Clippers trailed by 15 at 85-70. Encased therein was a 12-0 Memphis run. Green had eight points on 2 of 5 shooting, so he wasn’t having a huge game. But they did seem to take a step in reverse once he was gone.

– The Clippers were again killed on the boards, being outrebounded 44-30. DeAndre Jordan, who has done so much to keep the Clippers competitive on the boards – especially with second-leading rebounder Blake Griffin out since Christmas – had only seven. That’s well below his season average of 14.0.

– Coach Doc Rivers after the game blasted his team for not competing and intimating it lacked focus by calling Friday’s practice as well as the Saturday morning shootaround a “waste of time.” Jamal Crawford was asked about that. “I didn’t sense it, but he obviously has a different view. He’s sitting there watching and we are playing. You have to trust what he’s saying.”

Chris Paul scored a team-high 25 points on 7 of 14 shooting – 3 of 5 from 3-point range – for the Clippers. But kind of like Jordan in the rebounding department, Paul underachieved in his specialty – assists. He had six. He averages 9.8 – fourth in the league.

BONUS TAKE: Clippers’ reserve post Cole Aldrich missed both of his field-goal attempts and scored just two points. But he four blocked shots, two assists and two steals to go along with four rebounds in 14 minutes.