Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Clippers Game 6 Betting Lines
May 11th, 2012 | Author: John
The Los Angeles Clippers seemed to be cruising towards the second round of the NBA Playoffs for the second time this decade until a pair of injuries brought out the caution flag.
Chris Paul (hip) and Blake Griffin (knee) are questionable for tonight’s Game 6 as the Clippers look to finally close out the Memphis Grizzlies. The cornerstone all-stars were banged up in Game 5 and needed medical treatment to make it through. Their volatile status means Los Angeles is only a 1 1/2-point favorite according to Bovada’s Grizzlies vs. Clippers Betting Odds, with a 179 total.
”We know how big of a game it is,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro told the Associated Press. ”It’s great to be in this situation, and we have to handle it the right way, hopefully.”
It’s been a rough couple days for Paul, who jammed his finger in shootarounds before straining his hip flexor with just over two minutes left to play. He had been part of a near-rally for the Clippers, scoring 10 points in just over a minute in the third quarter to cut a 24-point deficit way down, but had trouble the rest of the way. Paul insists he’ll be ready tonight, and the more damaging injury could be Griffin’s.
After completing his first double-double, Griffin banged his knee up in the third quarter and only scored one point the rest of the way. He went in for an MRI on Thursday and is awaiting results.
Bad news for the Clips means good fortune for Memphis. After falling into a big 3-1, the Grizzlies were great for three quarters at home and it was enough to avoid elimination. Marc Gasol and Zac Randolph combined for 27 points in the first frame and 42 overall. In the team’s two losses, Gasol only had nine shots, but came back with 23 points Wednesday night.
”They’ve made more plays than us,” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins told the AP. ”I mean the little kid Chris Paul has done a great job of finishing games and that’s really been the difference in all those games that we have lost. We did a good job getting ahead of them last night and the one other win we had here, and we’ve got to do that when we go out to L.A.”
Don’t expect that kind of dominance on the road, though.
Memphis is 1-5 ATS in its last six road games, and has hit the under in nine of its last 10. Only eight teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 
deficit to win the series, the last time coming in 2003.
The Grizzlies are shooting just 10 for 44 from 3-point land in the series.
”Everybody’s got to execute better,” Hollins told the AP. ”We were out of position three or four times, we’re trying to run plays and one or two guys are thinking it’s a different play. We have to be on the same page and have poise and confidence.”