2012 NBA Playoffs: Grizzlies Get Even Behind Juice’s Hot Hand.

After a few nights of little or no sleep, the Memphis Grizzlies earned some well-deserved rest Wednesday night, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 105-98 to even their first-round Western Conference playoff series at a game apiece as the teams head out west.

Game 3 will be on Saturday afternoon in Staples Center.

The Grizzlies were able to put behind them one of the worst quarters of play in NBA history behind a balanced scoring attack that saw six players in double digits, compared to just four for the Clippers.

Included in those six for the Grizzlies was hyper-productive bench scorer, O.J. Mayo.  The numbers don’t tell the entire story, especially his shooting percentage (only 6-16, including 2-7 from three-point range) but he made more than enough plays to keep the Clippers at bay.

For starters, Mayo’s defense on Chris Paul was more than passable.  Paul lived in the lane all night, no matter who was guarding him…. except for Mayo.  Paul was still able to run the offense and hit shots because he’s Chris Paul and nobody truly shuts him down, but Mayo was able to stay between him and the rim, which is a victory in itself.

Mayo’s defense, always suspect, has come a long way this season.  He doesn’t have the size of a prototypical shooting guard, but would be a bigger point guard.  That size that leaves him with tough match ups for someone 6’6 and up, but he towers over the 6’0 Chris Paul.

Of course, Chris Paul is used to being shorter than the guy that’s guarding him, many people say that he’s under 6’0 altogether.  The scariest part of Paul’s game is that first step that has remained with him, even after a scary knee injury a few seasons ago.  Mayo was able to react to that as well.

It was just one game and we don’t know what the rest of the series will hold for either team, but Mayo’s defense is one reason that the Grizzlies were able to scrap together an all-important win.

It’s a good thing Mayo was able to slow Paul, because nobody else seemed to be able to, as he was everywhere on the floor at all times.  Paul’s night was summed up when the Grizzlies switched Tony Allen onto him for what promises to be one of the great chess games of the entire playoffs.  Late in the shot clock, Paul squared up and hit an insane three-pointer over the much taller Allen.  On the way back down, Allen just shrugged his shoulders.

The Grizzlies forced the Clippers into 20 turnovers, totally out of character for a Chris Paul-led team, which helped offset the fact that Los Angeles shot an insane 57% from the field.  If you don’t think these first two games have been weird, that stat is all you need to know.

Game 2 didn’t feature huge shifts like the series opener, giving it something in common with most basketball games.  In fact, the Grizzlies’ lead swelled to 13 with about four minutes left in the game behind a 6-0 run, but before that, the game still very much hung in the balance.

Mayo scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and hit the biggest shot of the night as it looked like the Grizzlies may collapse for the second straight game.  With the lead only 6, Mayo hit his first three of the game and reignited the FedEx Forum crowd.

The most encouraging sign, aside from the win, for the Grizzlies may have been Zach Randolph’s good game after the Clippers’ reserve big man Reggie Evans turned into the “Zach Stopper” on Sunday night as the officials allowed him to use his physical (some would say illegal) grabbing tactics. Randolph went 6-11 from the field, for 15 points in 29 minutes of play.  His three point play late in the fourth quarter seemed to break the Clippers’ will as the Grizzlies went up 11 as part of that big 6-0 run.

The officiating was much better in game 2, and the Grizzlies benefited from it, shooting 39 total free throws, compared to 18 attempts for the Clippers.  Game 1 saw the Clippers shoot 23 free throws to just 18 for the Grizzlies.  That’s not an obscene difference in free throws, but when you consider that the Grizzlies attacked the basket in the early going and the Clippers had to shoot more jumpers to get back into the game, it sort of speaks to how the game was being called.

After two games went in two different directions, it will be interesting to see how the teams react to the venue change.  Yes, the Grizzlies could easily be up 2-0 right now, and if not for the worst quarter in NBA history, they would be.  In fact, they probably played a better game in the opener, aside from that 8 minute stretch.

If you’re the Clippers, you’re glad to have stolen a road game so early in the series and thrilled about the big comeback in game 1, but less thrilled about shooting 57% and losing game 2 because of so many turnovers.  Without those turnovers, you’re probably up 2-0 and headed home.  You could have ended Memphis’ postseason run before it ever got started, but just like in game 2, the Grizzlies hung around, withstood an early Clippers run and found a way to win.

If the Clippers lose this series, they’ll have to point to game 2 as the one that got away, where the Grizzlies will definitely point to game 1.  As the series shifts to Los Angeles, one thing is clear: we don’t know anymore at this point in the series than we did before game 1.  Both teams are evenly matched and this will be a long series.  If O.J. Mayo and Zach Randolph play like they did Wednesday night three more times in the next five games, then game 1 will be a distant memory, as will the Clippers.