Minus Bad Blood, Memphis Grizzlies’ Loss Affirms Rivalry Remains With Clippers

Though the Los Angeles Clippers rid themselves of their All-Star core, the rivalry between them and the Memphis Grizzlies remains.

This season’s Los Angeles Clippers roster is far different than any featured this decade. Fans of the Memphis Grizzlies may hardly recognize any of the Clippers’ names because you will not find a Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, or Deandre Jordan.

The only constant theme from the rivalry, other than L.A.’s head coach, Doc Rivers, falls on the Grizzlies’ side with Marc Gasol and Mike Conley still running the show. Zero Clips remain from the final time these two teams have met in the postseason (2013), with DeAndre Jordan being the final piece to make an exit.

On Black Friday, the Grizzlies traveled to face the Clippers once again, but there was not any bad blood on display. Though the game remained close throughout, there was no kicking, flopping, or unnecessary screaming coming from Los Angeles. The focus was simply basketball, which is different than past brawls the Clips have attempted to initiate in past years.

This matchup featured two very good ball clubs being highly competitive. Memphis entered the early-afternoon meeting owning the Western Conference’s best record at 12-5. The Los Angeles Clippers have been a big surprise in their own right at 11-6.

L.A. offers just one player with a $20+ million per-year salary in Danilo Gallinari. After playing against the new-look Clippers, it is easy to see how they have found success through their month and a half of regular season games.

The Clippers are a lot like our beloved Memphis Grizzlies. Both teams put team basketball on full display. They play hard and they play for one another. The unexpected trend across the league in 2018-19 has been the slow and sluggish starts by star-studded franchises, yet teams with greater depth and lesser stars are prevailing.

It is easy to see why the Memphis Grizzlies went into an overtime affair with the Los Angeles Clippers on Black Friday. They are evenly matched across the board.

In taking a look at the two teams’ first round picks of 2018, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are both placed within NBA.com’s top-five in their Rookie Ladder rankings.

Though JJJ had the more impressive performance with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three blocks on Black Friday, Gilgeous-Alexander provided a boost for his club with eight points, two rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Both first-year studs received the start for their respective team, too.

In the common theme of past Clippers teams, Lou Williams is one of the league’s hottest scorers from beyond the arc. On Black Friday, the Grizzlies kept him in check as he went one-of-four from deep, finishing with a total of 15 points. He has filled the role J.J. Redick used to play, plus exceeding it.

Though there is less emphasis on the Los Angeles Clippers’ front line as they have become a small-ball entity, their secret weapon off the bench was a nuisance for Memphis.

Fourth-year big man Montrezl Harrell is well on his way to Most Improved Player accolades. He is an all-hustle, all-energy player that would truly fit the mold of a Memphis Grizzly. It seemed as if the Clips were giving the Grizzlies a dose of their own medicine in the 35 minutes Harrell earned on Black Friday.

Montrezl made for a more competitive battle with Marc Gasol, who produced a whopping stat line of 27 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and one block, though it was not enough to secure a victory. Though Harrell and Gasol have vastly different skill sets, their duel on the boards was more intense than when DeAndre Jordan resided in L.A.

To point to the elimination of bad blood between these two clubs, Grizzlies Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Montrezl Harrell received double-technicals early in the game’s fourth quarter. Both guys were puzzled at the whistle, and though they had been jarring at one another, the two slapped hands and returned their focus on the game.

Never during the Zach Randolph era would the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers show a sign of respect to each other during the game. This is a classier Clips club, and this could be a potential postseason matchup once late-April arrives.

More from Beale Street Bears

• Dillon Brooks speaks out after beating former Grizzlies teammate in World Cup
• Jaren Jackson Jr. puts ex-Grizzlies teammate on notice
• 3 players Grizzlies would consider trading Ja Morant for
• Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. put on blast following FIBA elimination
• Ex-Grizzlies guard signs with title favorite, joins forces with 6-time All-Star

Once Mike Conley fouled out on an offensive foul call on Black Friday, the Grizzlies blew an eight-point lead. Though there was a very questionable foul call on Gallinari’s final shot attempt (and would go on to make all three free-throw attempts), it was a blown opportunity to increase Memphis’ lead in the Western Conference standings.

The Memphis Grizzlies have proved they are a real threat in the West, and so have the Los Angeles Clippers. L.A. deserves credit for their energy and ability to not give up, and the season series will be fun to watch over the course of the 2018-19 season.

Memphis will face the Clippers next on December 5th, the second of four total meetings this season. It will enable the Grizzlies to force their will on their own home floor.

It may be a new roster, but it is the same Clippers franchise. There is currently no bad blood, but now is no time for the Memphis Grizzlies to become friendly with this foe, especially as they now share a three-way tie in the Western Conference standings.