Schedule and 2012-13 Results
Regular Season Records: Los Angeles Clippers 56-26, Memphis 56-26
Game 1 on Saturday, 20 April: Memphis loses at Los Angeles Clippers, 112-pts-91
Game 2 on Monday, 22 April: Memphis loses at Los Angeles Clippers, 93-pts-91
Game 3 on Thursday, 25 April: Los Angeles Clippers lose at Memphis, 94-pts-82
Game 4 on Saturday, 27 April: Los Angeles Clippers lose at Memphis, 104-pts-83
Game 5 on Tuesday, 30 April: Memphis wins at Los Angeles Clippers, 103-pts-93
Game 6 on Friday, 03 May: Los Angeles Clippers lose at Memphis, 118-pts-105

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Memphis Grizzlies hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 118-pts-105 for a 4-games-2 win of MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1210. With the series 1210 victory, the Memphis Grizzlies improve their best-of-7 playoff series record to 2-5 overall and 2-4 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1210 loss, the Los Angeles Clippers see their best-of-7 playoff series record fall to 2-3 overall and 2-1 in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Memphis Grizzlies in series 1210 was LLWWWW: Series 1210 thus becomes the second NBA Preliminary-round series, the ninth NBA series (all rounds), and the 33rd MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. So it is that the Memphis Grizzlies have won their first best-of-7 NBA playoff series after having trailed 1-game-nil (previous 0-4 series record when trailing 1-game-nil), 2-games-nil (previous 0-3 series record down 2-games-nil), 2-games-1 (previous 0-3 series record) . . . and after having been tied 2-games-all (previous 0-1 series record).

After Game 5: The Memphis Grizzlies visited and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 103-pts-93 to take a 3-games-2 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1210. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 6 record of 1-0. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Los Angeles Clippers have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 6 record of 1-0. So it is that the Memphis Grizzlies, with a 3-games-2 series 1210 lead, hope to win their first series after having trailed 1-game-nil (0-4 series record when trailing 1-game-nil), 2-games-nil (0-3 series record down 2-games-nil), 2-games-1 (0-3 series record) . . . and after having been tied 2-games-all (0-1 series record).

After Game 4: The Memphis Grizzlies hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 104-pts-83 to tie MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1210 at 2-games-all. When tied in best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-all, the Los Angeles Clippers have a 0-1 series record and a 0-1 Game 5 record, while the Memphis Grizzlies also have a 0-1 series record and a 0-1 Game 5 record. Twice before in best-of-7 NBA playoff series have teams (such as the Clippers) won Game 1 by double digits at home, won Game 2 by a single digit at home, and lost Games 3-4 on the road by double digits: In series 495, the Boston Celtics did so against the Detroit Pistons in their 1987 Semifinals series and won in seven games; in series 896, the Detroit Pistons did so against the Philadelphia 76ers in their 2003 Quarterfinals series and won in six games.

After Game 3: The Memphis Grizzlies hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 94-pts-82 to cut the Clippers’ series lead to 2-games-1 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1210. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Los Angeles Clippers have a 2-0 series record and a 2-0 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Memphis Grizzlies have a 0-1 series record and a 0-1 Game 4 record. Memphis thus wins a best-of-7 NBA playoff Game 3 for the first time in four tries after trailing 2-games-nil; the Grizzlies had had an NBA-worst 0-3 Game 3 record upon trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil.

After Game 2: The Los Angeles Clippers hosted and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 93-pts-91 to take a 2-games-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1210. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Los Angeles Clippers have a 1-0 series record and a 0-1 Game 3 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Memphis Grizzlies have a 0-3 series record (thrice swept, in the 2004-2006 Preliminary rounds) and a 0-3 Game 3 record. Series 1210 thus becomes the seventh best-of-7 NBA playoff series in which the Games 1-2 loser notches the same number of points in each game; the wins occurred on home courts in each of those seven series. In one of those seven series (series 978), the Clippers in Los Angeles defeated the Denver Nuggets 89-pts-87 in Game 1 and 98-pts-87 in Game 2 of their 2006 NBA Preliminary-round series; Los Angeles won the series in five games.

After Game 1: The Los Angeles Clippers hosted and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 112-pts-91 to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1210. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Los Angeles Clippers have a 2-0 series record and a 1-1 Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Memphis Grizzlies have a 0-4 series record and a 1-3 Game 2 record. In the history of best-of-7 format NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2012, inclusive, teams winning Game 1 by 21 points have a 5-3 series record (all five series winners won Game 2; all three series losers lost Game 2).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2012-13 NBA regular season, the Los Angeles Clippers finished tied with Memphis (but won home-court advantage through a tiebreaker). From 1947 through the 2012 NBA Finals round, inclusive, when NBA teams tied their best-of-7 playoff series opponents in regular-season games but won home-court advantage through a tiebreaker, they have posted an 8-7 (.533) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1210 is the seventh best-of-7 NBA playoff series for Memphis, and the fifth for the Los Angeles Clippers. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, Memphis has a 1-5 series record, a 1-4 Preliminary-round series record, and a 2-4 Game 1 record, while the Los Angeles Clippers have a 2-2 series record, a 2-0 Preliminary-round record, and a 2-2 Game 1 record. Series 1210 is the second best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers; the Clippers won MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1177 against Memphis in the 2012 NBA Preliminary round.