Since their previous meeting on March 24, when Vinny Del Negro’s job was in the balance, the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers have lost a combined three games.
Needless to say, they have been two of the hottest teams in the Western Conference.
They collide again for the third and the final time this season as Chris Paul and the Clippers visit Rudy Gay and the Grizzlies in Monday’s best game.
The Clippers (34-22) hosted and won the first two meetings between the teams. In the previous game, they blew past the Grizzlies, 101-85, behind Blake Griffin who had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Paul was also stellar with 19 points and 13 assists.
Since that contest, Los Angeles has lost just once in nine games. The Clippers hold the fourth seed and trail the Lakers by just a half-game for the Pacific Division lead and the third seed.
Randy Foye has provided a third scoring option the team has desperately needed since losing Chauncey Billups. He has averaged 20.9 points on 47 percent shooting in the last six games and hit a league-best 25 3-pointers on 46 percent shooting during that stretch, including a franchise record-tying eight 3-pointers against Dallas.
After shooting under 39 percent in February and March, Caron Butler has regained the stroke that helped the team get off to a hot start. In the last seven games, he has averaged 14.4 points on 50 percent shooting. The team is 19-9 when Butler scores at least 13 points.
Paul is one of just six players in history to complete a season of 18.0 points, 9.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. He has done it three times in his career and is on pace again, averaging 19.3 points, 9.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals on the season.
Memphis (32-23) is hitting a stride of its own, winning seven of nine games, including impressive victories over the division-leading Lakers, Thunder and the Heat.
Mike Conley, an NBA All-Defense candidate, is right behind Paul in steals with 2.4 per game. He leads the team in assists with a career high 6.9 per contest.
Marreese Speights continues to start despite the return of Zach Randolph. The team is 29-15 when he starts.
Gilbert Arenas has been on fire in the last four games, averaging 11 points on 66.7% shooting in just under 14 minutes off the bench.
Tony Allen has missed the last two games due to a facial laceration and is questionable for the game.