Clippers Survive Grizzlies Late Rally To Win Game 2 With Last Second Layup From CP3.
The home-team we were most nervous for in a game two, was the Los Angeles Clippers, who left a foul taste in the mouth of the Memphis Grizzlies defeating them in blowout fashion. During game one, the Grizzlies never got into sync with both Tony Allen and Zach Randolph getting into quick foul trouble in the first quarter.
Looking to avenge their embarrassing Saturday night loss, the Grizzlies would dance with the Clippers, providing the best NBA playoff game we’ve seen so far. Before tipoff, Marc Gasol was named defensive player of the year, a well deserved award for his consistent play during the entire 2012-13 season.
He continued his style of play in tonight’s game limiting the Clippers front court tandem to a combined 24 points with 11 of 23 shooting. Memphis started the game with their starting five, all contributing to the scoreboard initially, erasing any game 1 memories they had and using their over-aggressive defense to limit the Clippers inside scoring.
Blake Griffin, who scored only 10 points in the game one, would come out firing —scoring 13 points in the first quarter— but only 8 more for the entire game. Zach Randolph started the game guarding Blake, but when head coach Lionel Hollins made the Gasol/Blake switch, the paint scoring was virtually eliminated.
In the second quarter, the Los Angeles bench (Jamal Crawford and Eric Bledsoe), would give the starters a huge sigh of relief, providing an instant scoring boost to regain the lead by 6 heading into halftime. Mike Conley kept the Grizzlies in the game during the quarter before halftime, leading all scorers with 28, to finish as Memphis entered halftime down 6.
Skipping ahead to the third quarter, both teams were playing the back and forth game with Darrell Arthur and Tony Allen adding some offensive fire power to support the Grizzlies big 3. In the fourth quarter, the Clippers starters would get a breather, with Eric Bledsoe and Matt Barnes leading the pack for the LA’s bench, to give the team a 12-point lead.
Memphis nearly went the first three minutes without scoring a single bucket, before Mike Conley led the team back to within striking distance. The Grizzlies would tie the game with only a minute and change left, from a Darrell Arthur and-1 monstrous throw-down. Then the Chris Paul show would immediately start scoring the teams last 8-points to win the game.
Marc Gasol would tie the game with 13 seconds left, in which the Clippers defense fell asleep allowing a dunk, but not fazed by the previous play, CP3 would come thru in the clutch one again.
It was the final play of the game with only seconds remaining and Chris Paul would go iso from the top of key, driving past the defensive-specialist Tony Allen and avoiding a block from Darrell Arthur, to kiss the ball off the glass for a game winner. Game Over!
CP3 Shows Why He’s The NEW KING of LA!
The series now heads back to Memphis, with the Grizzlies backs against the wall, down 0-2 for two must win games at home. This looks to be the best series to watch out West (and East if you’re in Memphis) so expect more memorable endings like what we witnessed tonight.
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