The LA Clippers lost 121-103 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night at the Intuit Dome, and calling it embarrassing would be generous. This wasn't just another loss in the season, this was a franchise at rock bottom, getting thoroughly dominated by a play-in contending Grizzlies team missing key players while showing zero effort, fight, and reason to believe anything will get better.
The Clippers are now 6-20, have lost eight straight home games, and haven't won at the Intuit Dome since October 31st.
Jaren Jackson Jr. was dominating both sides of the ball effortlessly
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting (72.2%), looking like prime Shaquille O'Neal against the LA Clippers' nonexistent defense. He dropped 21 points in the first half alone, attacking the basket at will while LA's defenders watched like they were in the stands. Jackson Jr. had been averaging just 10.2 points over his previous five games while shooting 42.6 percent, but apparently, the cure for a shooting slump is a date with the Clippers' defense.
As Jackson Jr. went over 20 points for the first time in six games, the Clippers made a struggling player look elite, which has become their signature move this season. When you don't contest shots, rotate on defense, and box out, opposing players look like All-NBA superstars.
But Jackson Jr. wasn't even the most embarrassing part of the loss. That honor belongs to Cam Spencer. He dropped a career-high 27 points while making seven three-pointers.
After hitting his fourth three-pointer in under three minutes during the fourth quarter, Spencer had words for the Clippers' bench.
The Clippers' third-quarter collapse told the whole story
The LA Clippers actually led 64-63 on a Kawhi Leonard three-pointer just before the midpoint of the third quarter. For about 18 minutes of game time, they were competitive. Then the Memphis Grizzlies went on a 9-0 run to take a 72-64 lead, and the rest is history. They had a 90-76 advantage into the fourth quarter, and the game was effectively over.
This has been the pattern all season: play competitively for the first half, then completely collapse once the game enters the third and fourth quarters. The Clippers rank 14th in point differential by halftime, proving that when effort and execution matter most, this team folds.
The lack of fight was stunning to watch. The Grizzlies made 41 percent of their threes compared to LA's 36 percent, and Memphis led for 71 percent of the game.
Every statistical measure shows the Clippers were getting exposed on their home court by an opponent that should've been beatable.
The Clippers' stars could not come to the rescue
Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting in a season-high 41 minutes, James Harden added 13 points on an off night but still dished out six assists, and Ivica Zubac grabbed 13 rebounds.
On paper, the LA Clippers got decent contributions from their stars, however, it didn't matter. When your supporting cast provides nothing and your defense allows 121 points to an undermanned Memphis Grizzlies squad, you're not winning games.
Kris Dunn scored 17 points, John Collins and Jordan Miller each added 10, but beyond that, the production dried up completely. The bench provided nothing, and the energy was nonexistent.
The most telling moment came when Cam Spencer was hitting those fourth-quarter threes. No one responded or helped elevate the team's intensity. They just accepted it, and kept playing lifeless basketball, suggesting everyone was ready for the buzzer to sound.
Steve Ballmer is experiencing a disaster era for the first time
The LA Clippers are 14th in the Western Conference. They've lost 12 of their last 14 games, and Steve Ballmer's billion-dollar monument to his basketball ambitions has hosted eight consecutive losses. Fans are rightfully booing, and the coaching staff has no answers.
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— APHoops (@APH00PS) December 15, 2025
According to Ramona Shelburne on ESPN, the organization isn't thinking about changing the structure. They'll make trades "around the margins" to "change the vibe a little bit." Translation? They're going to keep Lawrence Frank and Tyronn Lue in place, tinker with the roster just enough to pretend they're trying, and hope that somehow this collection of disinterested veterans magically starts winning games.
Monday night's loss to Memphis wasn't just embarrassing; it was a referendum on everything wrong with this franchise. The roster construction is not good, the coaching is ineffective, and all in all, nobody seems to care enough to fix it.
Ballmer built the Intuit Dome to host championship parades. Instead, he's watching his team struggling to win against nearly every opponent they have faced.