Clippers Are Good Losers

Mission accomplished.

The Clippers completed the final item on their to-do list, securing the playoff position they wanted Tuesday night in a 101-95 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.

The Grizzlies built a 21-point lead in the second half and withstood a late charge from Clipper reserves, clinching the Western Conference’s fifth-seeded spot and possibly helping their opponent in the process.

Although the Clippers will be seeded sixth, they appear to have a better first-round draw than the Grizzlies because the three division winners in each conference earn the top three seedings.

Because they have a better record, the Clippers (46-35) have home-court advantage against the No. 3 Denver Nuggets (44-37), who won the Northwest Division.

Memphis starts on the road against the formidable Dallas Mavericks, who are seeded fourth -- despite having the second-best record in the conference -- because they’re in the same division with the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs.

The Clippers might have benefited more from losing, stirring national media speculation about how hard they would play.

The Grizzlies held on, but the Clippers said they went out fighting.

“I understand why the questions were coming, without a doubt, but we’re not bending the rules in any way,” said co-captain Elton Brand, who scored 17 points. “Guys who needed rest were getting rest.

“Look throughout the league. The Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons ... every team is resting guys who have logged a lot of minutes. We’re not doing anything out of the ordinary, and we were trying to win the ballgame.”

Center Chris Kaman sat out his second game in a row because of a minor knee injury, and point guard Sam Cassell was given the night off.

The Grizzlies (48-33), who put leading scorer Pau Gasol on the inactive list because of a sore left foot, led by 18 at halftime and went ahead, 67-46, with 6:53 remaining in the third quarter.

The Clippers rallied behind rookie forward James Singleton, who scored a career-high 23 points, made five of six three-pointers and played 45 minutes. Rookie guard Daniel Ewing’s two free throws cut the lead to 96-93 inside of 30 seconds, but Mike Miller made a three-pointer to seal the victory with 11 seconds to go.

“It was a bizarre game,” Memphis forward Shane Battier said. “I’ll leave it at that.”

Meanwhile, the game’s outcome also made things clear for the Nuggets, who lost the season series to the Clippers, 3-1.

“They’re the best post-up team in the Western Conference, maybe altogether,” Denver Coach George Karl said of the Clippers. “Kaman and Brand are major problems, and Sam has been their wild card all year.”

The Nuggets aren’t pleased about being the team it seems the Clippers and Grizzlies preferred to play.

Before an April 4 game against the Clippers at Staples Center, forward Carmelo Anthony expressed frustration about the Nuggets not receiving the respect they say they deserve.

“They can try to generate any kind of motivation they need at this point and time, if that’s what they’re trying to do,” Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “I’m offended if they’re offended.”

And the Nuggets also have been prickly because NBA observers point to them in pushing to overhaul the league’s playoff-seeding format.

If teams were seeded based on overall record, the Nuggets would not have been in the top five.

The format might change for the 2006-07 season, because the NBA doesn’t have “a good reason to say it shouldn’t be changed,” Commissioner David Stern said in a recent conference call with reporters. “Maybe we should go to seeding the best four teams by their record.”

The Clippers acknowledged they might have a potential edge because of the home-court advantage, but said that alone wouldn’t be enough against Denver.

“I know George Karl and those coaches over there real well, and you better believe they’re going to be ready for us,” said Cassell, who played under Karl for five seasons while with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“We had a lot of hard-fought games with those guys this season, and the playoffs are always tougher. They know us and we know them, so we’re expecting a tough, tough series. I know we’re not going to take them lightly.”

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Mile High matchup for Clippers

The Clippers will have the home-court edge against Denver when they face the Nuggets in a best-of-seven first-round playoff series. The Clippers have won three in a row against the Nuggets:

NOV. 25: at Denver 105, Clippers 95

JAN. 27: Clippers 105, at Denver 87

JAN. 28: at Clippers 112, Denver 79

APRIL 4: at Clippers 111, Denver 109