The majority of the first round of the NBA playoffs has been filled with one sided uninteresting games. Game 2 between the Clippers and the Grizzlies was the exception. CP3 ignited the home crowd in Staples Center by hitting a game winning shot over Memphis's Tony Allen. The Los Angeles Clippers proved with their game two last second victory that they have evolved by leaps and bounds from last year's team. The Clippers had a sizeable lead over Memphis is the first half, despite a 1 for 5 five point effort from Chris Paul. The Clippers did let the Grizzlies back in the game in the second half of Monday evening's game two. Memphis was down by as much 12 points in the fourth quarter. Mike Conley and Darrell Arthur scored all their team's points in a 9-2 run that got Memphis even with 1:37 left. After LA took the lead from a Chris Paul bucket, Marc Gasol had an easy dunk to once again tie the game up at 91 with 13 seconds to go. Chris Paul would go one to hit a tough runner over the Grizzlies' best defender Tony Allen to give the Clippers the 93-91 victory.
Last season the Clippers and Grizzlies had a fantastic seven game series to open up the first round. After a blowout victory in game one for LA, it appears that once again this matchup has the potential to be the best matchup in the first round of the playoffs. However, last year the Clippers were outmatched once they got passed Memphis. The Clippers just may be the deepest team in the NBA. They won their first division title in team history this season, and are poised for a deep playoff run. The additions of Lamar Odom and Jamal Crawford have strengthened the Clippers bench. Eric Bledsoe continues to prove he is a very good young player and would be starting on most other teams. Blake Griffin has also evolved especially on the defensive end and has become a much better shooter. DeAndre Jordan had 4 of his team's 1o blocked shots, and is one of the best young big men in the game. The Clippers may not make it past the powers of the western conference. However, this Clipper team cannot be counted out and certainly will be a factor in determining who will come out of the western conference. -Joe Passarelli |
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