Clippers beat Grizzlies, 113-110

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Clippers 113, Grizzlies 110 (final)

The Clippers made enough of their free throws down the stretch to hold off the Memphis Grizzlies and win their third straight game, 113-110, tonight at Staples Center. The Clippers in the final 4 1/2 minutes made 10 of 15 from the line to keep it close.

Chris Kaman led five players in double figures with 26 points as the Clippers (3-4) moved within a game of .500. Rudy Gay had 33 for Memphis, which fell to 1-6.

Rasual Butler, who had missed nine of 12 shots, made a three-pointer and another outside jumper to cut the Grizzlies’ lead to 97-95 midway through the quarter, and Craig Smith’s follow and breakaway layup tied the score at 99-99.

When Kaman made one of two free throws with 5:10 to play, Lawler’s Law went into effect. Of course, the law (Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler’s theory that the first team to 100 wins) had failed earlier this season against Phoenix.

Another three-pointer by Butler two minutes later made it 105-101 and forced Memphis into a timeout.

Butler pushed the lead to six, at 110-104, with a free throw with 1:10 to play, the Clippers’ biggest lead at that point.

Clippers 82, Grizzlies 82 (third quarter) The Clippers finally began playing defense in the third quarter and, if they could have figured out what to do about Rudy Gay, could have built a comfortable lead. Gay scored 10 points in one stretch, highlighted by a vicious baseline dunk to give Memphis an 80-75 lead with a little over a minute to go in the period.

But good inside defense that included Marcus Camby blocking Marc Gasol’s attempted layup late in the period kept things close.

Kaman continued his strong play inside, with 17 points, on his way to his sixth straight game with 20 or more points.

Through three periods the Clippers had held former USC star O.J. Mayo, who had been averaging 19.7 points, to two points.

Grizzlies 60, Clippers 55 (halftime)

No problem. At this rate, all the Clippers need to do is score 121 points and they’ll pull out a one-point victory. The Clippers are shooting 54%, but that won’t be nearly good enough if they continue to let the Grizzlies slide through their defense the way they have in the first two quarters. Memphis forward Rudy Gay led everyone with 21 points.

The Clippers’ second unit gave the team its first lead of the game, finally pulling ahead of a team with a 1-5 record and a roster filled with players -- aside from Gay -- recognizable by anyone who knows everything about the NBA but not by anyone else.

The Clippers pulled ahead at 39-38 on a three-pointer by Craig Smith with eight minutes to go in the half. That had come after a 9-0 stretch by the Clippers had pulled them to within 36-34, with a three-pointer by Eric Gordon, a basket by Smith and two by Sebastian Telfair . But as has been such a major part of the Clippers’ history -- and early part of this season -- holding on to that kind of advantage was elusive.

The Grizzlies pushed the lead back to nine, at 54-45, with 3:18 to go before Baron Davis began playing the way he had the night before when he scored 25 against the Warriors. He scored on two consecutive possessions, driving hard to the basket, and added the final four points of the half.

Grizzlies 29, Clippers 23 (first quarter)

The Clippers fell behind by 17-6, as forward Rudy Gay led the way for the Grizzlies, before the Clippers scored nine straight points to make it 17-15. Chris Kaman continued the kind of play that has marked his season so far with nine points and four rebounds in the first quarter, but Gay’s shooting was the difference.

Behind his 14 points in the quarter, the Grizzlies held a 29-23 lead at the break.

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The Clippers, losers of their first four games this season, try for their third win in a row tonight, against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. And they’re not off to a great start, calling timeout after Memphis jumped to a 10-2 lead.

Memphis is playing without guard Allen Iverson, who was granted permission to leave the team to deal with a personal issue. Iverson had not been starting for the Grizzlies and wasn’t quiet about how unhappy he was with that situation, which was a personal issue itself.

The Clippers are coming off a 28-point win over Golden State.

-- Mike James