The Los Angeles Clippers will meet the Memphis Grizzlies tonight. Watch Listen Live Online Free Streaming: NBA 2014 basketball from Fed Ex Forum in Memphis at 8:00 PM ET
The final meeting between these teams -- unless they square off in the playoffs for a third straight year -- features Blake Griffin going for a 10th straight 25-point game as his Clippers visit Memphis on Friday night.
These teams have two of the league's best records over the past six-plus weeks, with the Grizzlies winning 15 of 19 and the Clippers 14 of 20. However, Memphis is one game out of the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot, while Los Angeles (37-19) leads the Pacific Division.
Griffin is a big reason why, averaging a career-best 24.4 points, and he's scored at least 25 in a career-high nine consecutive games. He's averaged 32.6 points in that span while shooting 58.3 percent, and the All-Star forward posted his sixth double-double in seven games with 35 points and 12 rebounds in a 113-103 loss to San Antonio on Tuesday.
"He scored like 60, didn't he? Blake's great," Spurs veteran Tim Duncan said when asked about trying to contain Griffin. "He's been playing the best basketball of his career thus far."
Griffin, though, wasn't happy about his team's defensive effort as the Clippers had a three-game winning streak snapped. They gave up more than 110 points for the fourth time in six games.
"Sometimes you can't control if you're shooting the ball well or things like that. But you can always control your energy on defense," Griffin said. "Even when you're tired, you can still bring a little bit more.
"... It's on me. I think I have got to show a little more energy at the start, especially defensively."
No team has been better on defense lately than the Grizzlies, who have surrendered 87.8 points per game since Jan. 14 to join Chicago (93.3) as the only teams allowing an average below 96.0 in that span.
Memphis now looks to win the regular-season series for the first time since 2008-09, and enters this matchup on a three-game winning streak.
In the Grizzlies' first game following the All-Star break, Mike Conley had 22 points in a 98-93 home win over New York on Tuesday.
Memphis (30-23), which won its third straight, was four games under .500 as recently as early January.
The game will be televised regionally on the TSOH cable network while it will also be live streamed online at nbaliveonline.tv/streaming/
