|
 "It was real big, doing what we did and not having Tony," Randolph
said. "Guys stepped it up and our bench came in and did a good job.
That's what we need."
Marc Gasol had 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to help
end the Clippers' four-game winning streak and send them to their
first home loss.
Blake Griffin had 23 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles. Chris
Paul added 18 points and 11 assists for his 11th straight
double-double, the most by any player to start a season since Magic
Johnson also had 11 in 1990-91.
Allen was charged with a flagrant-2 foul with 1:51 left in the
opening quarter after he lifted his left leg in a vain attempt to
impede Paul's drive to the basket and kicked him in the face. Allen
walked over to Paul at the foul line to apologize while referees
Bill Kennedy, Mark Ayotte and John Goble watched the replay at the
scorer's table to determine the severity of the foul.
"I was just trying to make a play — leaving a great shooter like
Jamal Crawford in the corner, knowing Chris Paul's tendencies,"
Allen explained. "Chris sees everybody that's open, and I
accidentally kicked him. But I'm pretty sure he knows that it was
accidental. That ain't my style of play.
"I had to let him know that it wasn't intentional. He understood
that and he told me he knew it wasn't. But the refs reviewed it, and
it was a blow to the head. So that was the result — me getting
kicked out. It was just unfortunate that I couldn't help my team
throughout the game. But they had my back and played hard throughout
the game."
Paul got out of it with just a few loose teeth. It could have been
much worse had he not been wearing a mouthpiece.
"I know Tony didn't do it on purpose," Paul said. "I went mute for a
while, just because I hate being hit on the lip more than anything.
I just hate having a busted lip. But I know it wasn't intentional,
and I didn't expect him to get ejected. I think he thought I was
about to throw the ball to the corner, so that's a natural
instinct."
Playing in front of their 100th consecutive sellout crowd, including
the postseason, the Clippers trailed 90-83 with 8:20 remaining after
Memphis opened the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run. They got as close
as 90-88 on a 16-footer by Paul, but the Grizzlies extended the
margin to 101-91 with an 11-3 run capped by Conley's jumper with
1:51 to play.
 "I was on the bench for a little bit there with
foul trouble, and we were wearing out our big guys," Conley
said. "They were getting tired, so I knew it was time for me to
be a little more aggressive, look for my shot and try to get
into the paint. I was able to do that and make some shots."
[to top of second column] |
Randolph paced Memphis to a 52-51 halftime lead with 16 points
and eight rebounds. The Clippers, who trailed 25-13 at the time
of Allen's ejection, closed to 39-35 midway through the second
period with a 9-2 spurt before reserve forward Matt Barnes was
scratched near his left eye by Randolph as the Grizzlies forward
was being double-teamed by Barnes and Griffin down on the block.
Barnes was charged with a foul before going to the dressing
room, and didn't report back in until 3:25 remained in the third
quarter with the Clippers down 74-71. His two free throws put
them ahead 78-76 with 1:14 left in the period, and the Grizzlies
responded with a 19-footer by Randolph and a 3-pointer by Mike
Miller before Clippers guard Darren Collison beat the buzzer
with a 3-pointer of his own to tie it at 81.
The Grizzlies won the final four games of their first-round
playoff series against the Clippers last spring after dropping
the first two at Los Angeles, then got swept by San Antonio in
the Western Conference finals. The previous season, the Clippers
beat Memphis in seven games during the opening round, winning
the deciding game on the road before getting swept by the Spurs
in the conference semifinals.
"Every year we find ourselves back in L.A.," Conley said.
"They're a very good team, very physical, and it's a great
rivalry right now."
NOTES: The Grizzlies are 5-0 when Randolph leads them in
scoring. ... Paul's longest overall double-double streak in the
NBA is 12 games. ... The Clippers have used the same starting
lineup through the first 11 games of a season for the first time
since 2004-05, when coach Mike Dunleavy kept his starting five
of Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Marko Jaric, Bobby Simmons and
Chris Wilcox intact for the first 13 games. ... Griffin, who had
a season-high 30 points on Saturday against the Nets, was
selected Western Conference player of the week for the second
time in his career. He averaged 25.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and
4.7 assists, helping the Clippers go 3-0. ... It was Griffin's
98th game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds since the
start of the 2010-11 season, tying Minnesota's Kevin Love for
the most during that stretch.
[Associated
Press; JOE RESNICK]
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