Los Angeles- Bouncing back from last night’s loss in Oklahoma, The Los Angeles Clippers(37-18) escaped Memphis with a narrow 101-95 victory over the Grizzlies(20-27).
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers in scoring with 24 points and Terrance Mann recorded a
double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Plagued by turnovers due to Memphis’s physical pressure defense, the Clippers’ 21 turnovers paired with the offensive struggles of James Harden and Paul George led to a back-and-forth contest.
“We’ve got to be able to handle that pressure,” Head Coach Tyronn Lue said. “To have more turnovers than you have assists, it’s hard to win a game like that.”
Both teams were neck and neck in the first half with several lead changes and neither team could build a double-digit lead.
In the first half, Memphis capitalized on 10 offensive rebounds and nine steals, taking advantage of 12 turnovers by Los Angeles to seize a 59-53 lead entering the break. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 15 first-half points, shooting 6-for-13 from the floor. Meanwhile, Mann led the Clippers with 13 points, making 5 of 7 attempts from the field.
The Clippers tightened up their defense to start the second half and outscored the Grizzlies 26-16 in the third period.
In the fourth quarter, both teams remained unable to create any separation until James Harden made his first field goal of the game with 46.2 left on the clock to give the Clippers a 6-point advantage and seal the game for Los Angeles.
“That’s what great players do,” Lue said of Harden’s basket. “Made that big 3 down the stretch. That was huge for us.”
James Harden finished the game with 9 points and 8 assists and Paul George added 14 points.
Jaren Jackson scored 29 points to lead the Grizzlies in scoring.
The Clippers are now preparing to return home and play the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.
