Grizzlies at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are dominating opponents and they look for their eighth consecutive victory when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Los Angles owns the best record in the NBA and won each of its past three home games by more than 30 points.
The Clippers annihilated the Brooklyn Nets 127-95 on Monday to extend their franchise-best start but point guard Chris Paul wanted to lend some perspective following the contest. "Seriously, 10-1 is all good and well, (but) you guys know and you've been around the league, it's not about right now," Paul said. "I think for us, with some of the heartache we've had in the postseason and stuff like that, we expect to do this, no disrespect to anybody. For us, it's all about the process." The Grizzlies are playing the third contest of a four-game trip and are coming off an impressive 102-96 victory against the Utah Jazz. "I feel like this is the best four quarters we've put together," first-year Memphis coach David Fizdale said afterward. "Guys, they want to win. They really want this and we've worked really hard over the past couple days to clean things up."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (5-5): Fizdale's goal is to move Memphis to a faster pace and away from the plodding style of recent seasons but he is finding it to be a work in progress. The longstanding successful trio of center Marc Gasol, power forward Zach Randolph and point guard Mike Conley aren't against such a transition but Fizdale also sees the value of the system that worked in the past. "I don't want to subtract from any of that," Fizdale said. "I still want it to be gritty. I just don't want our offense to be in a grind. I want to be able to get the ball up the court and score more points. Our field-goal attempts are where they need to be, we just aren't shooting the ball great."
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (10-1): Los Angeles is the best defensive team in the NBA in the early stages of the season and the players were still pointing to the defense as the main factor on a night in which the team scored a season-high 127 points. "It was definitely our defense," Clippers center DeAndre Jordan told reporters after the rout of the Nets. "We were limiting those guys to one shot. Our defense really has an effect on the offense. If we come out and are not scoring or our shots are not falling, we can still come out and play defense and still get stops." Paul had 21 points, nine assists and five steals versus Brooklyn and the thefts aren't even a season best - he's already has six on two occasions, including once against the Grizzlies.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers won five of the past six meetings, including a 99-88 win in Memphis on Nov. 4.
2. Grizzlies SG Tony Allen (groin) is in jeopardy of missing his fourth consecutive game.
3. Los Angeles SF Wesley Johnson (heel) could return after a one-game absence.