Grizzlies vs Clippers (no one wants to win)

[Kori Ellis]

This will be a vBookie, please hold.

[Kori Ellis]

If you don't know the circumstances, Clippers (6th seed) are 1 game back of the Grizzlies. But they don't want to catch them and get the 5th seed because they'd have to play Dallas. If they stay the 6th seed, they get the Nuggets and homecourt.

[greywheel]

So do both teams "rest" their starters? Time to check which bench is on contract years.

[SilverPlayer]

Clippers-Grizzlies game helps sort out murky playoff picture
By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer
April 18, 2006

In most years, this would have been the ideal scenario for the Los Angeles Clippers: All they have to do is lose.

Now that they're headed to the playoffs, they say they won't -- at least not on purpose.

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The Clippers visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, the most intriguing matchup in a playoff race that remains murky going into the final days of the season.

The loser would appear to have more to gain than the winner. A better postseason draw awaits the team that finishes lower in the standings.

"I don't think anybody's going to do anything intentionally to try and lose a game because there's too much pride in this locker room," Clippers center Chris Kaman said. "I think Mike (Dunleavy) is way too competitive for that. He gets mad over the smallest detail on defense, so how could he ever be like that?"

Memphis (47-33) is a game ahead of Los Angeles for fifth place in the Western Conference, and each team has two games remaining. The Grizzlies will clinch the No. 5 seed with a victory Tuesday night.

But should they want it? The No. 5 seed will open the postseason at Dallas, which has the second-best record in the West but falls to fourth because it is in the same division as San Antonio. The three division winners get the top three seeds.

Meanwhile, the sixth-place team would have home-court advantage in a series against No. 3 Denver, and wouldn't have to face either the Spurs or Mavs until the conference finals. The Grizzlies -- who have never won a postseason game -- are a combined 1-7 against the two teams from Texas.

"You try to mess with the basketball gods, they punish you in the end," the Grizzlies' Shane Battier said last week. "All the talk of massaging and losing games, that's not in our minds right now. We're trying to win every single game every time we step on the court."

NBA commissioner David Stern said last week that the league would not give any instructions about playing hard to the teams.

"Adequate attention has been focused on this issue, for which we're appreciative," he said.

However, Stern and outgoing deputy commissioner Russ Granik have said the league may discuss changing the way the top four teams are seeded. A similar issue happened last year, when Indiana drew the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and beat third-seeded Boston, which won the Atlantic Division but had two fewer victories than No. 4 seed Chicago.

"The league needs to step in and take away any perceived incentive to lose," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "But also, I don't think you do yourself any good trying to pick who you'll play. Sometimes, you try to set yourself up for something that may not work out. But I think that just the idea that you could be better served to lose rather than win probably needs to be taken care of." Yahoo (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-playoffpicture&prov=ap&type=lgns)

[nkdlunch]

all my vbookie that this game is gonna suck balls. Stern u're an idiot

[greywheel]

I am thinking Stern would want an extra LA game more than an extra Memphis game, but LA will lose a close one. Memphis will have the edge in free throws.
Don't know if I have ever thrown a conspiracy theory out so publicly BEFORE a game.

[pache100]

It'll either be a very close game (because nobody's playing) or an uncontrollable runaway (because nobody gives a shit).

[Despot]

I was actually going to request this Vbookie, knowing how interesting of an item to bet on it would be. But in all reality, I think neither team would even think about losing, but if either team needs to lose, it's probably Memphis, while I think they match up well against Dallas, Memphis would probably rather get Denver and get their first ever playoff victory. Either way I feel the clips win this one.

[Melmart1]

Nothing like a good game of hot potato...

[Kori Ellis]

To give you an idea how much the Clippers want to lose, the other night when they played Seattle, two of their starters didn't suit up and they had Boniface Ndong in the game as their go-to-guy in the 4th.

They lost 114-98.

[Despot]

To give you an idea how much the Clippers want to lose, the other night when they played Seattle, two of their starters didn't suit up and they had Boniface Ndong in the game as their go-to-guy in the 4th.

They lost 114-98.

Wow, didn't realize that, was it close in the 4th?...now I really want to see this game for some reason. I figured the only way this scenario would actually be an issue is if the spurs were still in the running for the fourth seed. I was kinda wondering why the spread was so large in favor of Memphis.

[SpursWoman]

Nothing like a good game of hot potato...


:lol

[boutons_]

http://www.nba.com/schedules/

http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/

.... does not show this game being TVed anywhere, not even NBA LP.

[picnroll]

They could have a hell of a game if they reversed it so Memphis was trying to score at the Clippers offensive end and the Clips trying to score at the Grizz's.

[greywheel]

A coworker pointed this out and it seems to be true, the clippers can when tonight and lose against the Mavs and still have the sixth seed.

If the Clips when they will be tied on record. The season series will be tied. And Memphis owns the conference tie-breaker.

Also Memphis next game is against T-wolves, a likely victory nullifying tie-breakers.

[Melmart1]

Maybe the vBookie should really be for how many shot clock violations there are.

[pache100]

Maybe the vBookie should really be for how many shot clock violations there are.
:lol

[polandprzem]

hehe when I've looked at the scheudle and saw the clips-mem matchup I said ohohh... The Clips are trying to loose in 3 weeks now not to be at the 5th spot. You get adventage of loosing cause you picking Denver instead of Dallas.

But when you get to the playoffs then it can occur the team has no desire has no passion in the game and will go fishing sooner then expected...

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

i dont really care who the Nuggets play

they can beat either of them if they play their game and can get killed by either of them if they dont, its that simple. All this talk of them tanking for the 6th seed is going to serve as a reason for the Nuggets to be fired up.

The nuggets havent shown any desire the last week or so,i think they are just focused on the playoffs and its been a good time for guys to be rested up..........

[ShoogarBear]

The potential downside to this is that if the team that loses looks like they were trying to lose, that might really piss off the Nuggets. We all know that the Nuggets are an extremely physical team now.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

The potential downside to this is that if the team that loses looks like they were trying to lose, that might really piss off the Nuggets. We all know that the Nuggets are an extremely physical team now.


and with their 5'5 PG coming back who can bench 300+ lbs, its going to get even more physical :lol :rolleyes

[boutons_]

Grizz 18 - 15 end of 1st qtr! :lol

Nobody wants to score! :lol

"here, take it, you win. No, take it back, you win" :lol

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

they will regret it............mark it down

its only adding fuel to the fire and i know GK will be using it and the players will be taking note

[2centsworth]

Grizz 18 - 15 end of 1st qtr! :lol

Nobody wants to score! :lol

"here, take it, you win. No, take it back, you win" :lol
I thought that was going to be the final score.:lol

[jochhejaam]

Memphis is up 67-47 in the 3rd, looks like they...uhm...lose? :lol

[ShoogarBear]

and with their 5'5 PG coming back who can bench 300+ lbs, its going to get even more physical :lol :rolleyes
Avery's coming out of retirement?

[1Parker1]

Memphis is up 67-47 in the 3rd, looks like they...uhm...lose? :lol

I think Memphis can handle Dallas better than the Clipps anyway.

[spurschick]

Um, are the Clippers suddenly trying to make this look good? They are only down by 11 now.

[Darrin]

Close the gap, LAC!

[spurschick]

They're messing with the spread now :makemyday

[Despot]

it'll be interesting to see if the clips start gouling to try and pull out the win.

[Trainwreck2100]

I want this to end by someone making it into the opponent's basket, and truly expose how shitty this bracket system is.

[Rynospursfan]

I guess Mike Miller didn't get the memo, this is the game to loose. With 11 seconds left and the Grizzlies hanging onto a 3 point lead he his a 3 ball to seal the "win" and the right to play Dallas on the road.

[Despot]

I guess the Grizz will have to wait until next year to win a playoff game. The Grizz are so bad at winning they can't even lose a game.

In all seriousness, Memphis' D might cause some problems for Dallas, what are the chances for an upset?

[xcoriate]

:lmao There was no way I was betting on that!

[CosmicCowboy]

Thats funny. Memphis didn't even suit up Pau Gasol.

[Beaverfuzz]

Weird, I never knew they changed the playoff seeding in that a Division winner now doesn't have home-court advantage in the first round regardless of record.

[pwilliam]

Actually, even if Chippers win the game vs Grizzlies, they can still get the 6th seed by losing the final game.
Knowing that they have no chance of getting the 6th seed, the Grizzlies just play the normal way - trying to win the ball game.

[Jimcs50]

Do you think Denver is going to have a chip on their shoulders after hearing that for the last 2 weeks that teams are laying down to avoid Dallas just so they can play Denver?

I would think that they have something to say about all this and they are going to come out like a team on a mission.

What do you think?

It is ironic that a year ago, they were the team that everyone wanted to avoid in the first round and this year, everyone wants them.
:lol