The Grizzlies try to stay alive tonight in Los Angeles, with Game 6 set to begin at 8 p.m.
In advance of the game, my take on a few elements of the series:
First and Last Take on the Booing Incident: With barely enough time to cover what’s happening on the court, I’ve been reluctant to wade into the sideshow “controversy” over Grizzlies fans booing when Blake Griffin went down late in the third quarter. Eric Freeman, over at Yahoo’s Ball Don’t Lie, does a nice job explaining the psychology of the moment, the Boy Who Cried Wolf-bred cynicism that I alluded to on Twitter as it was happening. (And, frankly, a cynicism that was only strengthened in the aftermath: After laying prostrate on the floor for several minutes, surrounded by the entire Clipper team, Griffin got up and played most of the rest of the game, a subsequent MRI confirming that he only suffered a sprain.)
The crowd’s rejection of perceived theatrics was presumptive and certainly against accepted fan protocol, but that initial reaction was soon transferred toward a Clipper fan shown on the arena’s video board. I gather that the sustained booing was presented on the telecast as being directed at Griffin on the floor, but that’s not quite what was happening.
Injury Updates: Griffin, with his sprained knee, and Paul, with his strained hip, are both listed as “game-time decisions” for tonight. Obviously, they’re going to play. But whether either is limited is potentially the most important aspect of the game. Keep an eye on Paul especially.