Clippers cruise past Grizzlies

[November 05, 2016]  MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- If it was just another night at the office for Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul -- 27 points and 11 assists -- it was also a historic night as he became the franchise's career assists leader.

"It's definitely cool," Paul said after he passed Randy Smith (3,498 career assists) for first-place on the Clippers' career list with 3,502 in a 99-88 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at FedExForum.

"It's cool anytime your name will last," Paul said. "But the one thing I always said is I got the easy job. All I gotta do is pass it. They're the ones that gotta make it."

In truth, the Clippers (4-1) still aren't making as many shots as they would like or clicking yet offensively. Paul was just 6 of 16 from the floor and 1 of 8 from 3-point range, but he also had six steals and four rebounds and was 14 of 15 from the foul line.

"Our defense right now is something we hang our hat on," said Paul, and the Clippers entered the game allowing a league-low 91.0 points per game and forcing a league-best 18.8 turnovers per game. "Our offense, we gotta find it."

Paul had no trouble finding the basketball when it was in the Grizzlies' hands. His thievery dove-tailed with the Grizzlies making 19 turnovers that led to 30 Los Angeles points.

"He's a true, true point guard," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "One of the few left in the league. I mean, there's nobody that has hands like him. He's so clever. If you expose the ball and Chris is around, there's a very good chance he will end up with the ball."

The Grizzlies learned this time and again. The Clippers blitzed Memphis 31-8 on fast-break points.

"Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers," Memphis coach David Fizdale said. "They were just getting out and running on us and I thought we did a crap job getting back."

The Clippers led by 18 points at halftime and by as much as 21 points in the second half. The Grizzlies made a too-little, too-late fourth-quarter charge to get within seven points in the final minute of the game.

"We got sloppy," Paul said of the Grizzlies' run.

Point guard Mike Conley led Memphis with a season-high 30 points and 10 assists and knocked down 7 of 11 3-pointers. Center Marc Gasol finished with 21 points and nine rebounds but started the night missing 10 of his first 11 shots from the floor.

The Grizzlies (3-3) made just 31 of 84 shots from the floor for 34.6 percent. They were 9 of 26 from 3-point range for 34.6 percent. Los Angeles hit on 32 of 85 from the field for 37.6 percent and was 8 of 27 for 29.6 percent from behind the arc.

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan had six points and 21 rebounds. Forward Blake Griffin finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and guard J.J. Redick chipped in 12 points.

Memphis Grizzlies cheerleaders perform during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at FedExForum. Los Angeles Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 98-88. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles led Memphis 36-22 on bench scoring. Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph led all reserves with 15 points and nine rebounds and Memphis forward James Ennis had nine points with 11 rebounds.

The Grizzlies and Clippers have been known for a heated rivalry the last few years, but the first meeting of the season between the two teams never had that feel.

"Not really," Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (nine points) said.

"That wasn't a rivalry game," said Fizdale, who picked up his first technical foul as an NBA head coach during the first half. "I've been in rivalry games. That was not a rivalry game. They came to play a rivalry game. We didn't."

Randolph agreed that Memphis never matched the Clippers' intensity nor their execution.

"We've been battling with them (a long time)," Randolph said. "We expect to be where they're at and we're not right now. We got a lot of work to do."

NOTES: A rivalry that has featured some great playoff games, there have been 32 technical fouls in the last 20 meetings between the Grizzlies and Clippers. Game 6 of the 2013 Western Conference Finals featured seven technical fouls and Los Angeles point guard Chris Paul and Grizzlies PF Zach Randolph were both ejected in the fourth quarter. ... The Clippers' 68.9 percent free throw percentage ranked 29th in the league despite G Jamal Crawford being 16 of 16 this season; C DeAndre Jordan was 6 of 21 for 28.6 percent. ... Memphis came in 12th in the NBA in 3-point FG percentage (35.9), a change from years past. But Clippers coach Doc Rivers said: "They get it from posting and throwing it out, still in to out basketball."

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