A pair of Western Conference playoff contenders will meet at different points of their season-long journey when the Los Angeles Clippers face the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.
While the Grizzlies are roaring into the All-Star break, having won 11 of their past 13 games, the Clippers continue to work on their identity for the road ahead as star Kawhi Leonard approaches his 15th game of the season.
Leonard has increased his playing time past the 30-minute mark in each of the past two games as he rounds into top form after not playing in any of Los Angeles’ first 34 games because of knee soreness.
While Leonard has averaged 15.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists this season, he managed just 10 points and five rebounds in the Clippers’ 130-110 home victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
It was Leonard’s third lowest scoring game of the season, and he did not take a 3-point attempt for the first time. He has committed a season high of five turnovers in each of his past two games.
“(It) just was going fast, and we’ve played some fast teams,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They’re coming to double-team (Leonard), they’re shrinking the floor, so just taking a look at our spacing and seeing when we could attack and be more efficient. A lot of that is on me.”
The Clippers did get 17 assists from James Harden on Saturday, and on Wednesday, they are expected to add Bogdan Bogdanovic into the fold. Bogdanovic was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline. Los Angeles also signed Ben Simmons on Monday.
“It’s future Hall of Famers, one of the best (teams) in the league, and I’m just excited to have the opportunity to play with them and help them in any other way that I can,” Bogdanovic said.
The Grizzlies head to Southern California after a 119-112 road victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Ja Morant scored 26 points and Desmond Bane added 20 as Memphis earned the victory one game after a 125-112 home loss to the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. The Grizzlies have won five of their past six road games.
The Tuesday victory guaranteed the Grizzlies will remain alone in second place in the conference through the break.
“I just felt that we came out aggressive on both ends of the floor and that’s what we want, we want to get stops and run,” Morant said on the TNT broadcast. “We’re even better when everybody is aggressive and gets downhill. That was coach (Taylor Jenkins’) message, and we were able to execute it.”
Memphis will be out to end a four-game losing streak to Los Angeles, having gone 2-6 against the Clippers over the past three seasons.
The Clippers earned a 114-110 victory over the Grizzlies on Dec. 23 at Memphis when Los Angeles leading scorer Norman Powell put up four of his team-best 29 points in the final 25 seconds. The Grizzlies got 24 points from Jaren Jackson Jr. and 23 from Morant.
Morant has averaged 22.3 points in 13 games against the Clippers, while Harden has averaged 23.1 points in 48 games versus the Grizzlies.
–Field Level Media
