The Memphis Grizzlies call it grit and grind, and it got them through another ugly game.
Marc Gasol scored 20 points and hit two free throws with 1:03 left to put Memphis ahead to stay, and the Grizzlies held off Oklahoma City 87-81 Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in this Western Conference semifinal.
When Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph click together, the Memphis Grizzlies are very, very tough to beat.
Gasol and Randolph had 24 points apiece and led a strong rebounding effort by the Grizzlies in a 104-83 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday that evened their first-round playoff series at 2-all.
Chris Paul led seven players in double figures with 23 points, Eric Bledsoe had 15 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 112-91 on Saturday while getting just one dunk in their playoff opener.
Chris Paul hit a free throw with 18.3 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Clippers edged the Memphis Grizzlies 91-87 Saturday night in a preview of a possible first-round playoff series.
The Clippers won their fifth straight overall and took the season series 3-1 for what could be a crucial tiebreaker giving Los Angeles home-court advantage in the postseason even though the teams now are tied at 54-26. That puts them both one-half game behind Denver for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
LeBron James scored 30 points in another efficient performance, Dwyane Wade added 20 and the Miami Heat dominated the middle two quarters on the way to an easy 111-89 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Carlos Boozer scored 27 points and the Chicago Bulls dominated on the boards to become only the third visiting team to win in Miami this season, beating the Heat 96-89 Friday night.
James Harden scored 31 points with eight assists, and the Houston Rockets earned their third straight win, 121-96 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
Rudy Gay scored 21 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Lakers 106-98 on Friday night to take back the NBA’s best record for themselves once again.
Michael Heisley, the majority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, said Monday he had reached a deal to sell the NBA club to an entity owned by technology magnate Robert Pera.
Memphis forward Zach Randolph will miss six to eight weeks of the NBA season with a torn right knee ligament, prompting the Grizzlies to make a three-team deal on Wednesday for big man Marreese Speights.
