Grizzlies at Clippers
THE STORY: The stars appeared to be aligned for the Los Angeles Clippers – until a loss at Memphis in Game 5 that left All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin dealing with injuries and putting their availability in question for Friday night's Game 6 of the Clippers' first-round series with the Grizzlies. The health of Paul (hip) and Griffin (knee) will be the overriding storyline as Los Angeles looks to wrap up the series and avoid a return trip to Memphis for a potential Game 7. Both are listed as game-time decisions.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Memphis staved off elimination with another dominant performance for most of three quarters before wilting and seeing a 24-point lead dwindle to six. It was eerily reminiscent of Game 1, when the Grizzlies blew a 27-point lead. Big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph were the keys to the fast start, combining for 27 points in the first quarter and 42 overall, but they were invisible for nearly the entire fourth quarter as the Clippers were making their comeback. Gasol finally asserted himself with 23 points after scoring a total of 27 in the previous three games and attempting only nine shots in the two losses in Los Angeles.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS: Paul jammed the middle finger on his shooting hand early Wednesday, but a strained hip flexor forced him to the bench with 1:24 to play. His ability to take over a game cannot be overstated. Paul scored 10 points in an 81-second span of the third quarter to cut a 24-point deficit in half. He said he couldn’t continue Wednesday but insisted he will be ready for Game 6. Griffin had his first career double-double before spraining his left knee with 1 ½ minutes left in the third quarter. While he remained in the game, he had just one point after he was hurt. An MRI exam showed no structural damage.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. With Paul,Griffin and Caron Butler (broken hand) all ailing, Clippers G Mo Williams scored 20 points and sparked the fourth-quarter comeback.
2. After hitting a season-high 11 3-pointers in Game 1, Memphis has gone 10 of 44 from behind the arc.
3. How rare is it for a team to come back from a 3-1 deficit and win a series? It’s only been done eight times in NBA history.