Clippers look ahead: Memphis Grizzlies visit Monday

Memphis Grizzlies teammates Tayshaun Prince, left, Zach Randolph, center, and Marc Gasol celebrate a late basket during the team's win over the Lakers on Friday.

By Ben Bolch

Nov. 16, 2013 5:10 PM PT

MEMPHIS AT CLIPPERS, 7:30 p.m. Monday. TV: Prime Ticket.

Doc Rivers’ introduction to the Clippers’ top rivalry could be about as subtle as a Zach Randolph elbow to the ribs of Blake Griffin. The teams that love to beat — and beat up — each other will meet for the first time since the Grizzlies body-slammed the Clippers last spring by winning the last four games of their first-round playoff series. The previous season, the Clippers rallied to win a memorable first-round series against Memphis in seven games. These Grizzlies are off to a slow start, with new Coach Dave Joerger acknowledging that “people do not fear us anymore.” Of course, if Randolph does his thing against the Clippers, there could be plenty of anxiety to go around.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

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Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Clippers look ahead: Memphis Grizzlies visit Monday

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