Rivers carries Clippers past Grizzlies

[January 05, 2017]  LOS ANGELES -- A second-half turnaround boosted the Los Angeles Clippers past the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

Austin Rivers scored a game-high 28 points and the Clippers rallied for a 115-106 victory over the Grizzlies at Staples Center.

Jamal Crawford contributed 22 points, while DeAndre Jordan collected 18 points and 20 rebounds for the Clippers (24-14). J.J. Redick added 19 points and Raymond Felton chipped in 11.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul (sore left hamstring) missed his fourth straight game. His feistiness was missing in the first half when the Grizzlies built double-digit leads.

"I think we needed to have a little bit more fight and a little more aggression," said Jordan, who recorded back-to-back games with 20 boards. "(During) the first half, we were a little stagnant on both ends of the floor. In the third quarter, we came out with some pressure on both ends of the floor."

Marc Gasol had 23 points for the Grizzlies (22-16), who were playing the second end of a back-to-back at Staples. The Grizzlies lost 116-102 to the Lakers on Tuesday.

Memphis point guard Mike Conley scored 17 points, handed out 12 assists and grabbed seven rebounds. Guard Tony Allen and forward Zach Randolph finished with 13 points apiece. Vince Carter had 11 points and seven boards for the Grizzlies.

"For whatever reason, they got to the foul line a lot," Memphis coach David Fizdale said.

The Clippers were 32 of 45 compared to 19 of 25 for the Grizzlies.

Two foul shots by Gasol pulled the Grizzlies within 100-98 with 2:40 remaining, but Jordan converted a basket 16 seconds later for a four-point Clippers' lead.

Conley made one of two free throws to slice the margin to three, but Rivers answered with a floater in the lane to put the Clippers up 104-99 with 1:39 left.

After the Grizzlies failed to convert on their next possession, Conley fouled Rivers behind the 3-point arc with 51.3 seconds left. Rivers made all three free throws to seal it for Los Angeles, which won two of three meetings.

"We don't get stops at the end of the game," said Gasol, who was 9 of 16 from the floor and 2 of 4 on 3-pointers. "It's going to be hard for us to win. When you are playing teams that attack a certain way, especially on pick-and-rolls and from the top of the floor, we have to be on the same page."

The Clippers rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to take the lead in the third quarter. A jumper by Redick capped an 11-0 run to cut the margin to 71-70 with 5:39 remaining in the third. A 3-pointer by Rivers at 3:27 lifted Los Angeles to a 77-75 lead. The Clippers carried an 89-85 edge heading into the final quarter.

Grizzlies guard Vince Carter (15) and Memphis Grizzlies guard Andrew Harrison (5) defend a shot by Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

 The Grizzlies outscored the Clippers 34-23 in the second quarter to take a 63-53 lead at the break. Memphis used its 3-point shooting in the first half, connecting on 9 of 16 attempts to 4 of 11 for Los Angeles.

However, the Grizzlies managed only two treys in the second and finished 11 of 28 from 3-point range overall. The Clippers were 9 of 23.

After the game, Doc Rivers, who has been ejected three times this season, announced that he addressed his team about its habit of drawing technical fouls. Rivers said the Clippers, frequently among the league leaders in the category, would donate money to charity in addition to paying the fines leveled by the NBA.

"It's extremely tough. We've got to do a better job," said Jordan, who leads the team in technicals with eight. "We're on the officials a lot, from myself, Chris, Blake (Griffin), Doc and all of us. Even if we don't agree with the call, we got to let stuff go and just play."

NOTES: Clippers PG Chris Paul (sore left hamstring) is close to returning. He participated in a vigorous workout earlier Wednesday and looked "terrific," coach Doc Rivers said. "Obviously, if it was a playoff game, Chris would be playing, but we just want to make sure he doesn't have any soreness," Rivers said. Paul could return for Friday's game at Sacramento. ... Grizzlies F JaMychal Green sat out after suffering a facial injury in Tuesday's loss to the Lakers. He was on the receiving end of an unintentional elbow from Lakers C Timofey Mozgov. Green is listed as day to day. ... Clippers rookie F Brice Johnson (acute herniated disc), who hasn't played this season, practiced for the first time since getting hurt in a preseason game in October. ... Memphis caps a four-game road swing at Golden State on Friday.

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