With a frustrating 87-86 loss yesterday afternoon, the Grizzlies now find themselves in the same place they put the Spurs and Thunder in last spring: Down 2-1 on the road.
The Spurs lost Game 4 on the road to the Grizzlies before finally falling in Game 6. The Thunder rallied to win their Game 4 roadie — in triple overtime — on the way to taking the series in seven games. So the Grizzlies have a couple of potential templates for which way this series might head. Game 4 Monday night isn’t “must win” — I’m pretty sure Wednesday’s Game 5 will still be held regardless of Monday’s outcome — but it will profoundly impact the series odds the rest of the way: Even the series up with two of three remaining on their homecourt and the Grizzlies will become the favorites again. Lose, and the odds become very steep of getting out of the first round again.
Through three games, the Grizzlies have outscored the Clippers 289-284. Much more meaningful, however, is that the Clippers have outscored the Grizzlies in the final six minutes 50-27. This included a 13-1 Clippers run in the final minutes Saturday afternoon to turn a six-point deficit into a six-point lead before Rudy Gay’s two late three-pointers gave the Grizzlies a final shot to win it, with Gay’s desperation heave unable to give the Grizzlies a miracle win to (kinda, sorta) match the Clippers’ from Game 1.
