A Clipper Open House

So much for the record-setting Clipper defense.

The group that established an NBA record last week hasn’t maintained its high standards, and was missing Sunday night in a 102-86 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center.

Memphis shot 56.8% from the field and 53.8% from three-point range, and got 51 points from reserves -- the most points a team has scored off the bench against the Clippers this season -- in its third consecutive victory.

The Clippers, who limited the New Orleans Hornets to a league-record 16-point second half in a blowout victory Wednesday, acknowledged they haven’t played well on defense in losing their last two games, and it’s getting difficult for Coach Mike Dunleavy to watch.

“We didn’t do a very good job defensively tonight, and it was a combination of things,” Dunleavy said. “We got beat too easily, and our help wasn’t there quickly enough. And besides that, they were making open shots.”

Players said the Grizzlies had the same game plan as in the Clippers’ 91-87 victory here Feb. 10, but their shooting was the difference Sunday.

“They spaced the floor a lot better than we did,” said Clipper swingman Cuttino Mobley, who had nine points. “They also did it the last time, but they missed shots, and this time they made shots.”

Mike Miller made the most for Memphis. He led the bench barrage, connecting on four of the Grizzlies’ seven three-pointers and scoring a team-high 20 points. Point guard Bobby Jackson had 15 points for the second unit, swingman Dahntay Jones contributed 10 and center Lorenzen Wright had six. Pau Gasol (17 points) was the only Memphis starter in double figures.

The Clippers’ previous high for bench points given up was 46 on Feb. 12 to the Chicago Bulls.

“If your bench can do that every night, 51 points, you can just about win every game,” Clipper forward Walter McCarty said. “To their credit, they did an excellent job executing their game plan.”

The Clippers, who led by one point at halftime, shot 42.1% from the field, missed nine of 26 free-throw attempts and trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half.

The Utah Jazz made 47.6% of their field-goal attempts and had seven three-pointers in 12 attempts in a victory Friday over the Clippers at Salt Lake City. Beginning play Sunday, the Clippers were second in the NBA in opponents’ field-goal percentage at 42.6%.

Now a season-high eight games behind the first-place Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division, the Clippers are concerned about defense down the stretch. They also are only a half-game ahead of Memphis for fifth place in the Western Conference.

“You want to say they shot the ball well, but we didn’t play good defense,” said center Chris Kaman, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds. “It was our coverages sometimes, but we got beat off the dribble constantly.”

“It wasn’t just the help, it was the one-on-one defense,” backup point guard Shaun Livingston added. “Every man on the team has to take responsibility for their man, that’s where defense starts.”