The Grizzlies and Clippers have turned basketball's biggest stage into a slugfest before, but their Game 6 collision looked better suited for the Octagon.
There aren't many times when fouls are the first thing to jump out of a box score (at least not without Tim Donaghy's involvement), but the 59 combined personal fouls, seven technicals and two ejections in this game were tough to miss.
The two teams combined to make 71 trips to the foul line, where Memphis held a decisive edge in both attempts (47 to 24) and percent converted (80.9 to 66.7).
But it wasn't the powerful post players bruising each other (Zach Randolph, 7-of-8 at the line, was the only frontcourt player with more than four three-throw attempts). Rather, the guards repeatedly found their way to the charity stripe. Mike Conley attempted a game-high 17, backcourt mate Tony Allen hoisted 11, and Chris Paul led the Clippers with nine.
The Grizzlies, who averaged 96.6 points in the previous five games, sprinted to a 118-105 series-clinching win. Randolph and Conley paced the Memphis attack (23 points each), but the defensive-minded Allen nipped at their heels with 19, and reserve Jerryd Bayless, who had scored a total of 16 points in his last four games, poured in 18.
Paul did his typical damage (28 points, eight assists) before picking up his second technical foul late in the fourth quarter, but Matt Barnes emerged as L.A.'s most consistent offensive weapon (30 points, including 6-of-7 from three).
Randolph and Blake Griffin, who played less than 14 minutes due to a high sprained ankle he suffered in Game 5, got into a third quarter wrestling match that resulted in fouls for both players and the first of two technicals on Z-Bo.
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