NBA Playoffs: Clippers Must Close out Grizzlies in Game 6

You would like to think that, with a 3-2 series lead with a chance to close out at home tonight, the Los Angeles Clippers are in firm control of the Memphis Grizzlies heading into Game 6.

That was the case, until injuries to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin put this series up in the air.

Now, both teams head back to the Staples Center to decide whether the Clippers head to San Antonio for the second round, or it's back to Memphis for Game 7.

Although both superstars are more likely to play in tonight's pivotal matchup, the question will be how healthy they are and if they can hold up for a good portion of minutes. But after what we saw in Game 5, no matter how long Paul and Griffin can play, Lob City can't afford to make another road trip to Memphis for the deciding game.

The Clippers had a chance to close out Memphis on their own home floor on Wednesday, but Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph took over, imposing their will throughout the entire first half, and were the main reasons why the Grizzlies were up by more than 20 points in the third quarter.

Fortunately for Los Angeles, they were able to get within six points in the fourth quarter and make a game out of it, but the Grizzlies finally figured out how to close a game and swung all momentum back toward their side.

It's unclear as to how serious Griffin's knee injury is and how it will linger throughout the course of the game. If his explosiveness and mobility are limited significantly, then the biggest portion of his offense is thrown out the window, considering he's missed every shot attempt outside of the pain this series.

As for the defensive side of the ball, Griffin may have a hard time handling Randolph's strength and toughness on the low block. Considering that in this series Z-Bo's emotions have risen to an all-time high because of Griffin, you can rest assured that the former All-Star and leading rebounder will take full advantage of the situation.

As for Paul, his lack of play-making ability with a strained right hip flexor and jammed middle finger are cause for concern, since he is the Clippers' leading scorer for this series at almost 23 points a game. If Mo Williams can contribute the way he did in the fourth quarter of Game 5, Paul won't need to worry about providing instant offense.

With a banged up team and being at home for the final time this series, Los Angeles can't afford to go back to Elvis' background and play another game. Look for the Grizzlies to utilize the same game plan they had in Game 5: a heavy dose of Randolph and Gasol in the first half and Rudy Gay in the fourth quarter to lead Memphis down the stretch.

The Clippers can't take the same approach their other LA counterparts did last night in Denver—missing the chance to close it out in six.