The LA Clippers looked awful against the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday afternoon, suffering what was arguably their worst loss of the season.
There are no easy games in the NBA. If that’s a lesson that the LA Clippers didn’t know coming into Saturday afternoon’s meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies, they certainly know it now.
LA was thoroughly beaten on both ends of the floor by a young Memphis team, once trailing by as many as 28 points en route to a 140-114 loss at home. It was the Clippers’ fourth home loss of the season, bringing their record on their floor down to 15-4.
After the game, Doc Rivers said his team came out with the expectation that they would win, which is slowly becoming a real issue. This was the fifth time this season that the Clippers have lost to a team with a losing record, though none have been this difficult to excuse.
The Grizzlies entered the contest as the 19th-ranked three-point shooting team, in regards to attempts made per game. This afternoon, Jae Crowder helped his team put on a clinic — Memphis was 18-of-39 from beyond the arc, and Crowder made six of his 11 in a team-best 27-point effort. He was a game-high +39 as well, solidifying his status as a quality role player (and someone the Clippers should keep an eye on as the trade deadline approaches).
It wasn’t just Crowder’s big game or Memphis’ shooting that put LA out of this one, though. The Grizzlies wanted to win this game more than the Clippers did, and it showed.
Almost every 50/50 ball seemed to go the Grizzlies’ way. Their defensive intensity matched that of their offense. They took advantage of LA’s mistakes; forcing them to make more.
These things, and more, are all reasons why the Clippers couldn’t get it done against Memphis or any of the other teams that LA should have beaten. We still don’t know who they are. We know what they’re capable of, but a lack of chemistry and an inability to show up for games like these are all part of the issue.
Those things should work themselves out in time, but it would be good to at least see signs of that.
That said, things aren’t all bad. The Clippers were missing Paul George and Patrick Beverley for this one, and both could return for tomorrow’s game against the New York Knicks. LA is still a top-four team in the Western Conference as well, and the team has one of the league’s best records against teams above .500.
But until the Clippers begin to give the same effort in games like these that they do against teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, it’s difficult to talk about how great they can be.
The LA Clippers will take the floor again Sunday afternoon in a meeting with the New York Knicks. Assuming George and Beverley both suit up, LA’s energy level should be up.