NBA playoffs: Grizzlies, Clippers survive late rallies, Hawks stun Pacers again

In Game 3, Hibbert played just 19 minutes, recording four points and two rebounds. While he’s always been appreciated primarily for his defense, even that aspect of his game has become suspect. And on offense, well, this pretty much sums up the kind of disaster he’s become:

Again, Hibbert is a 7’2 center in the NBA. With struggles this bad, you have to wonder if it’s in Roy’s head at this point. “It’s my fault,” he said after the game.

Instead, he got muscled up by CP3, whiffed on the shot, and wasn’t too happy afterwards:

Once the final buzzer rang, Curry stuck around the court to argue with referee Ken Mauer, who decided to swallow his whistle on that play. In the locker room, the Warriors’ point guard appeared pretty unhappy when asked if he was fouled. From USA Today’s Sam Amick:

Tony Allen nearly won and lost Game 3 for the Grizzlies, but without his brand of ball, Memphis isn’t Memphis. Elsewhere, the Clippers held on in Oakland and the Pacers are really, really, really in trouble now.

Oklahoma City started clicking in the second half, but took until the final six minutes of the fourth quarter to make a run at the Grizzlies. A Russell Westbrook four-point play tied the game, 85-85, with less than a minute left, and sent the teams into OT. Memphis dominated the extra period, and despite late chances to tie the game, the Thunder couldn’t top the Grizzlies at home, 98-95.

Game 4 is at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sat. Apr. 26 in Memphis. The Grizzlies lead the series, 2-1.

Atlanta got off to a rough start, sinking only one of its first 10 three-point attempts. The Pacers clamped down on them from the arc, and a low field-goal percentage for both teams led to Atlanta’s 39-38 advantage at the half.

So relaxing.

Oklahoma City had the second-best road record in the league during the regular season, but has won only once in five tries in Memphis in the playoffs.

Game time: 8 p.m. ET

After scoring 101 points in the first game of the series, the Hawks managed just 85 points in Game 2. A lot of that had to do with a Pacers squad that seemed much more engaged and dialed in. The problem is that it’s impossible to know what Pacers team will show up nowadays. When they’re playing up to their potential, Indiana still has an elite defense. But if the off-the-court drama gets to them, we might see Indiana complete one of the more impressive collapses in NBA history.

Oh and in case the prospects of a No. 8 seed upsetting the No. 1 seed weren’t enough, there are apparently reports that Frank Vogel is now coaching to keep his job. So that should be interesting. It’s only Game 3, but there’s a lot on the line in this one.