Clippers use big third quarter to defeat the Grizzlies as Bogdan Bogdanovic debuts
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What started as a back-and-forth battle between the Clippers, who have one of the NBA’s best defenses, and the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the league’s top offense, was decided by the Clippers’ 36-point third quarter, which led them to a 128-114 victory Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome.
The Clippers, led by Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, saw their lead surge to as many as 23 points in the third, too great for the Grizzlies, who were playing without Ja Morant.
“That’s just the way we want to play every night,” said Leonard, who had 25 points, five rebounds and four assists in a season-high 34 minutes.
Leonard emphasized the importance of learning from their early mistakes, when the Clippers held a 66-63 halftime lead, especially after “seeing what we’ve been doing in the first half and not wanting to make those same mistakes.”
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With several moving parts on the roster because of last week’s trade-deadline moves, the Clippers still are working to build chemistry and acclimate new players. But the second half showcased their potential.
“At our best, we can be a really good team,” said Harden, who finished with 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. He added that the team needs “more consistency, more effort throughout the course of four quarters.”
A three-pointer in the third quarter gave Harden his 26,974th point, moving him into sole possession of 13th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Hakeem Olajuwon.
“Today was my dream. [He was] somebody I looked up to and kind of wanted to mold and do things in the sense of what he brought to that city,” said Harden, who, like Olajuwon, played in Houston. “… So that was a little bit more special.”
The Clippers (30-23) entered their final game of the first half Thursday night at Utah sitting 2½ games behind the Lakers in the Pacific Division.
“To be able to win games, put yourself in position to be the sixth seed now, we got a chance to really take off and get better,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “To be where we’re at today, I’m just happy with the guys.”
The break will allow the Clippers to reset — integrating new players like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Ben Simmons while continuing to ramp up Leonard’s participation.
Leonard logged his third game of 30-plus minutes and was expected to miss Thursday’s matchup against the Jazz, as he has not yet been cleared to play in back-to-back games.
Before Wednesday’s game, Lue said he would insert guard Kris Dunn into the starting lineup to alleviate the pressure the Grizzlies presented on offense. This move was a boost for the Clippers, with Dunn — who replaced Derrick Jones Jr. — delivering his largest scoring output of the season.
Dunn finished with 14 points and set a season high from beyond the arc, making all four of his three-point shots.
“We could be a really good defensive group when we buy in. They drew up a really good game plan for us to follow,” Dunn said of the coaches.
He played an all-around productive game, adding five assists, five steals and three rebounds.
While the Grizzlies entered the game boasting the highest-scoring offense in the league (123.5 ppg), they were without their superstar point guard, forcing them to look elsewhere for offense. The two-time All-Star, who averages 20.7 points, 7.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds, was ruled out just before tipoff because of knee soreness.
This absence proved to be the Grizzlies’ downfall, as the Clippers — who came into the game ranked third in points given up per game (107.8) and steals (9.4) — took advantage of bad matchups and stifled Memphis’ offense.
After a turbulent 2½ seasons with Brooklyn, the 6-foot-10 veteran and the Clippers believe he’s a good fit as a point guard to run the second unit.
One of the league’s top defensive teams, the Clippers had 17 steals, forced 21 turnovers and scored 41 points off them, all of which played a significant role in keeping the Grizzlies below their season average.
Norman Powell added 18 points while Ivica Zubac contributed a double-double with 13 rebounds and 12 points.
Bogdanovic made his Clippers debut after arriving from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline. The three-point specialist nailed his first three-point attempt to much fanfare. The Serbian played 18 minutes and scored seven points, and after the game he described his Clippers tenure as “a new journey,” especially with the chance to share the court with Leonard and Harden.
Simmons, meanwhile, sat out for reconditioning but was expected to make his Clippers debut Thursday.
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