Grizzlies at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers opened a favorable four-game homestand with a runaway win and now set their sights on another lesser opponent when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Montrezl Harrell led six players in double figures with 23 points on Saturday as the Clippers shot a season-high 62.4 percent in a 132-108 rout of lowly Cleveland.
Los Angeles has won 12 of its last 14 contests and sits one-half game behind fifth-place Utah in the Western Conference playoff race and three back of Houston, which visits on Wednesday. "We're playing at a real high level right now," Clippers guard Patrick Beverley told reporters. "We're moving the ball and it's fun. We're defending, so we really don't care who we play." The Grizzlies have long been out of contention for a playoff spot, but they are competing down the stretch and have recorded eight wins in the last 15 games. Jonas Valanciunas scored a career-high 34 points and Mike Conley recorded 33 in a 120-115 comeback win at Phoenix on Saturday in the opener of Memphis' four-game road trip.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (31-45): Memphis fell behind by 15 points after one quarter on Saturday and still trailed with under five minutes remaining before closing with a 16-9 run to snap a four-game road slide. Valanciunas grabbed 20 rebounds just five games after hauling in a career-high 24 in a loss to Orlando and has posted six straight double-doubles. Conley is finishing with a flourish as he has scored at least 20 points in nine consecutive contests while recording no more than one turnover in seven of those games.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (46-31): JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple were a big part of the hot-shooting effort on Saturday, combining to go 13-for-14 from the floor while making all five of their 3-point attempts. "We got the job done," coach Doc Rivers told reporters. "I thought a lot of guys played well. When you shoot 62 percent, offensively you don't have a lot to say." Shai Gilgeous-Alexander buried his only three 3-point shots en route to 22 points while handing out a team-high eight assists.
WALK-OFFS
1. Harrell averaged 26 points in two wins over Memphis this season but was held to eight in the Clippers' one loss to the Grizzlies.
2. Memphis PG Delon Wright made a career-high five steals on Saturday and has recorded multiple thefts in four straight games.
3. Clippers SF Danilo Gallinari (ankle) missed Saturday's contest and is day-to-day.