canihavu
02-07-2009, 08:35 AM
Randolph Leads Clippers to Win Over Grizzlies
Feb 7, 12:01 AM (ET)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -The Los Angeles Clippers used the best 3-point shooting night in franchise history to end their seven-game losing streak.
Zach Randolph had 35 points and 10 rebounds, while Ricky Davis added a season-high 24 points as the Clippers used 16 3-pointers to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 126-105 on Friday night.
"It was one of them nights," Randolph said of the shooting performance.
Eric Gordon added 23 for the Clippers, who won for the first time on the road since Dec. 19 at Indiana, a skid that had reached 11 straight road setbacks. The Clippers shot 59 percent from the field, including 55 percent outside the arc.
Los Angeles built its lead early and just continued to extend the advantage, with the help of the long-range shooting. Randolph was 4-of-5 from outside, Gordon was 3-of-5 and Ricky Davis hit six of his 10 shots from 3-point range. The 126 points were also a season-high for the Clippers.
Scoring a lot of points has been a formula for Los Angeles' wins this year. In all 11 victories, the Clippers have scored at least 94 points.
"I think our strong suit is just being able to get up and down and see how many points we can score," guard Baron Davis said. "We don't pride ourselves on our defense. So, we have to be able to score a lot of points."
Rudy Gay led Memphis with 26 points, hitting nine of his 13 shots. Mike Conley finished with 18 points, and Greg Buckner added 13 points, season highs for both.
Through three quarters, the Clippers were shooting 61 percent from the field, including 14-of-22 from outside the arc for 63.6 percent, helping Los Angeles build a 25-point lead.
"It's tough to come back from the deficit we forced ourselves into in the first half," Gay said. "It was tough, but it also was a lesson."
The Grizzlies hardly looked like the team that had played their way to two straight double-digit wins. The Clippers seemed to outhustle Memphis to balls and make the Grizzlies pay for not covering shooters on defense. That allowed the Clippers to shoot above 50 percent most of the game.
"They were knocking down shots," Conley said. "(I) thought we played OK defense against them, but we could have played a lot better to start off the game. The first quarter, we didn't come out with any energy, and kind of let them get in a groove. They just didn't miss shots from then on."
Memphis was forced to go to the bench early as Darko Milicic picked up three fouls in just over four minutes. O.J. Mayo (10 points) and Marc Gasol also were whistled for three fouls in the half. With rookie forward Darrell Arthur away from the team for family reasons, the foul problems left the Grizzlies short-handed, particularly across the front line.
Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said Arthur's absence forced him to go with a pair of 7-footers - Milicic and Gasol - in the starting lineup.
"I don't think that worked too well," said Hollins, who was named coach after Marc Iavaroni was fired Jan. 22. "Obviously, it didn't work too well against this team."
Baron Davis and DeAndre Jordan also had to sit out part of the first half with foul issues, but that didn't seem to affect the Clippers as they built a 15-point lead midway through the second period.
The Clippers eventually would go to the locker room shooting 57.5 percent, including Randolph's 3-pointer from beyond midcourt as time expired in the half, giving Los Angeles its largest lead of the half at 68-49.
The 68 points were nine more than the Clippers have had in any half this season.
"Our guys did a great job of moving the basketball," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We got a lot of good looks, and we were banging them down."
^
Notes:
Despite the loss, Memphis still holds a 27-26 lead in the series, one of only two teams the Grizzlies hold an edge over. Charlotte is the other. ... Al Thornton is the only Clippers player to start all 50 of the team's games. ... Officials reviewed Randolph's 49-footer at the halftime horn before ruling it good. Baron Davis didn't like the call that led to his fourth foul, and expressed his displeasure enough to official Eli Roe, who gave the Clippers point guard a technical.
Feb 7, 12:01 AM (ET)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -The Los Angeles Clippers used the best 3-point shooting night in franchise history to end their seven-game losing streak.
Zach Randolph had 35 points and 10 rebounds, while Ricky Davis added a season-high 24 points as the Clippers used 16 3-pointers to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 126-105 on Friday night.
"It was one of them nights," Randolph said of the shooting performance.
Eric Gordon added 23 for the Clippers, who won for the first time on the road since Dec. 19 at Indiana, a skid that had reached 11 straight road setbacks. The Clippers shot 59 percent from the field, including 55 percent outside the arc.
Los Angeles built its lead early and just continued to extend the advantage, with the help of the long-range shooting. Randolph was 4-of-5 from outside, Gordon was 3-of-5 and Ricky Davis hit six of his 10 shots from 3-point range. The 126 points were also a season-high for the Clippers.
Scoring a lot of points has been a formula for Los Angeles' wins this year. In all 11 victories, the Clippers have scored at least 94 points.
"I think our strong suit is just being able to get up and down and see how many points we can score," guard Baron Davis said. "We don't pride ourselves on our defense. So, we have to be able to score a lot of points."
Rudy Gay led Memphis with 26 points, hitting nine of his 13 shots. Mike Conley finished with 18 points, and Greg Buckner added 13 points, season highs for both.
Through three quarters, the Clippers were shooting 61 percent from the field, including 14-of-22 from outside the arc for 63.6 percent, helping Los Angeles build a 25-point lead.
"It's tough to come back from the deficit we forced ourselves into in the first half," Gay said. "It was tough, but it also was a lesson."
The Grizzlies hardly looked like the team that had played their way to two straight double-digit wins. The Clippers seemed to outhustle Memphis to balls and make the Grizzlies pay for not covering shooters on defense. That allowed the Clippers to shoot above 50 percent most of the game.
"They were knocking down shots," Conley said. "(I) thought we played OK defense against them, but we could have played a lot better to start off the game. The first quarter, we didn't come out with any energy, and kind of let them get in a groove. They just didn't miss shots from then on."
Memphis was forced to go to the bench early as Darko Milicic picked up three fouls in just over four minutes. O.J. Mayo (10 points) and Marc Gasol also were whistled for three fouls in the half. With rookie forward Darrell Arthur away from the team for family reasons, the foul problems left the Grizzlies short-handed, particularly across the front line.
Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said Arthur's absence forced him to go with a pair of 7-footers - Milicic and Gasol - in the starting lineup.
"I don't think that worked too well," said Hollins, who was named coach after Marc Iavaroni was fired Jan. 22. "Obviously, it didn't work too well against this team."
Baron Davis and DeAndre Jordan also had to sit out part of the first half with foul issues, but that didn't seem to affect the Clippers as they built a 15-point lead midway through the second period.
The Clippers eventually would go to the locker room shooting 57.5 percent, including Randolph's 3-pointer from beyond midcourt as time expired in the half, giving Los Angeles its largest lead of the half at 68-49.
The 68 points were nine more than the Clippers have had in any half this season.
"Our guys did a great job of moving the basketball," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We got a lot of good looks, and we were banging them down."
^
Notes:
Despite the loss, Memphis still holds a 27-26 lead in the series, one of only two teams the Grizzlies hold an edge over. Charlotte is the other. ... Al Thornton is the only Clippers player to start all 50 of the team's games. ... Officials reviewed Randolph's 49-footer at the halftime horn before ruling it good. Baron Davis didn't like the call that led to his fourth foul, and expressed his displeasure enough to official Eli Roe, who gave the Clippers point guard a technical.