The Los Angeles Clippers had several chances to clinch home court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But with losses in three of their final four regular season games, and a season-ending six-game winning streak by the Memphis Grizzlies, the Clippers must now begin their first round series on the road, beginning Sunday in Memphis.
The Clippers (40-26) have never had home court advantage in their franchise history.
The Grizzlies (41-25) took care of business Thursday night with an 88-76 home win over the Orlando Magic, as Marc Gasol had 22 points and six rebounds in the win for Memphis.
The Clippers could have had home court advantage had they won one of their two remaining road games, either Tuesday in Atlanta or Wednesday in New York, but lost both. The Clippers rested Chris Paul on Wednesday night with a mild groin strain.
The Clippers beat the Grizzlies in two of their three matchups this season, but the home team won all three games, which makes home court advantage in this first round series all the more important. The Clippers were 24-9 at home this season, while the Grizzlies were 26-7 at FedEx Forum.
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