
Los Angeles-The Clippers will kick off the playoffs on Saturday at the Staples Center in front of a sold out crowd.
It’s déjà vu all over again. The Los Angeles Clippers will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference first round of the NBA playoff for the second consecutive season. Look for both teams to show up wearing boxing gloves-this will be one of the toughest, physical, and most entertaining series in the West.
The Clippers will have to adjust to the Grit-n-Grind style of basketball because the Grizzlies are all about grinding it out. They’re not a flashy team with a roster full of superstars, but they’ll work hard on every possession to make a play and those are usually the teams that’ll come out on top. Despite the Clippers’ athleticism, they have to be cautious when playing a team like Memphis.
Forward Blake Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan will have to get ready to put their bodies on two of the most dominant front court players in the league, Grizzlies Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Both players are silent killers on the court. You don’t really hear the wows from the crowd when they play, but pay close attention to the stat sheet because it fills up quickly.
If the Clippers want to beat the Grizzlies, they have to find ways to keep both players out of the paint. Although the Clippers beat Memphis last year in a seven series show down, it’ll be different this time around. Both teams have an advantage because they’ve history and know what to and what not to expect from one another.
Both the Clippers and Larry they’re also two teams that have chemistry with their teammates. The Clippers beat the Grizzlies 3-1 this season, but it could have gone either way.
The fact that both teams finished the regular season with a 56-26 record speaks volumes. It also came down to the last game of the season to see who’ll have home-court advantage in the playoffs. This playoff series could have not been any better. It’ll probably be the most talked about matchup in the West.
Tamara is a graduate of Cal State Los Angeles where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. Tamara is passionate about covering sports. She has covered the NBA and Major League Baseball routinely for the past several years. A Southern California native, Tamara developed her skills as a sports journalist while working for various Los Angeles-based news publications.