NBA Playoff Schedule 2012: Key Matchups That Will Determine Sunday's Games
Sunday will be an exciting day of playoff basketball with a Game 7 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies, followed by Game 1 of the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers' second-round series.
The Clippers held a 3-1 series lead against the Grizzlies but played poorly in Games 5 and 6 to allow Memphis to force a Game 7 on its home floor.
Injuries to Clippers stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have limited their effectiveness somewhat, but they shouldn't have a problem finding some extra strength for Game 7.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Heat will continue their quest for an NBA title against the talented Indiana Pacers, who finished with the third-best record in the East this season.
Miami will have a much tougher time defeating the Pacers than it did the New York Knicks because Indiana's depth and defensive play are far better than New York's.
Let's look at the key matchup that will determine each of the two NBA playoff games on Sunday.
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Location |
| Clippers at Grizzlies | 1:00 p.m. | ABC | FedExForum |
| Pacers at Heat | 3:30 p.m. | ABC | American Airlines Arena |
Blake Griffin vs. Zach Randolph
The matchup at power forward will be crucial to the outcome of this game. Randolph and the rest of the Grizzlies frontcourt has dominated the big men of the Clippers over the last two games, both of which were Memphis wins.
Randolph outplayed Griffin in Game 6 and will do so again on Sunday if the Clippers star doesn't play better one-on-one defense in the low post.
Los Angeles cannot afford to lose this matchup or Randolph will dominate the paint and lead the Grizzlies to victory. The Clippers need to win the rebounding battle or their summer will start on Sunday night.
LeBron James vs. Danny Granger
The matchup at small forward will be key to the Pacers and Heat series because if Danny Granger doesn't contain James, Indiana has no chance to win this series.
Conversely, if James can do a good job of containing Granger, then the Pacers offense will be far less effective.
Granger is the best scorer on the Pacers, and has the ability to score at the basket or shoot from beyond the arc. If James can frustrate Granger and make him work hard for every basket, the Indiana offense as a whole will struggle.
The winner of this matchup will lead his team to victory on Sunday in a crucial Game 1.
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