Clippers lack physicality against Grizzlies

(News4usonline) – Even without Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies proved to be too much for the Los Angeles Clippers. Now, granted the Clippers were without either Paul George or Kawhi Leonard.

With that said, the Clippers got off to a good start but cooled over the last three quarters as the Grizzlies walked away with a 123-108 win at Crypto.com Arena during a Saturday afternoon basketball game.

The Clippers scored 36 points in the first quarter but failed to hit the 30-point mark in the last three quarters. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue played everyone in his rotation. That played a difference in how the team started and how it ended, Lue said.

“I think just our substitutions,” remarked Lue after his postgame press conference. “I think having to go to the bench and the way we try to mix it up – like I said that’s my fault. Cause you know, first quarter we won by eight points. The third quarter we tied it 28 to 28. So, just having to go the bench we gotta mix and match with Zu and Nico on the minute restriction. I messed that up, so, that’s on me. That has a lot to do with it.”

The loss drops the Clippers to 19-21 on the season. As the team moves on with both George and Leonard trying to get well from being sidelined from injuries or surgery, Lue and the Clippers have to march on without them. Marcus Morris Sr. did his part with a game-high 29 points.

Reggie Jackson added 18 points and Brandon Boston Jr. chipped in 13, but other than that the Clippers didn’t get much scoring from anyone else.

Memphis, through the physicality of Brandon Clark (18 points, 15 rebounds) and De’Anthony Melton (11 rebounds), outrebounded the Clippers and committed just nine turnovers the entire game. The Clippers finished the game with 12 turnovers, which is still pretty good. Lue, though, didn’t think his team played physical enough.

“I think they did a good job taking care of the basketball, but our physicality – coming off screens, offensive
rebounds,” Lue said. “You know, just bringing that physicality. We only had one turnover at halftime. So, I think they did
a good job of taking care of the basketball, but our physicality should’ve been on another level.”

Jackson, who finished the game with zero assists in his 25 minutes of playing time, said the team can do better.

“You can feel it,” Jackson said. “You can feel his energy. We got to be better. So, we’re disappointed in ourselves as well. It feels like we’re getting bullied around sometimes. So, we just have to come out and lay it all out on the line
and despite the result, leave it all out there. He was disappointed and upset, but he never kicks us too hard,
but you can definitely feel it. Not only letting ourselves down, but letting the coaching staff and fan base
down. We just got to put a better effort out.”

So how was the Grizzlies able to steal a road win from the Clippers without Morant or big man Steven Adams playing? Just going all in, said Jaren Jackson Jr.

“We were all together, we were on the same page as a unit on the game plan for one. We just held it down,
we drank water and we figured it out. It was good,” the Memphis center said.