The Los Angeles Clippers rallied from a 27-point deficit to stun the Memphis Grizzlies 99-98 in Game One of first-round playoff series.
The visiting Clippers,blitzed by an early onslaught of Memphis three-pointers and trailing by 27 late in the third,tied an NBA playoff record of pulling off a victory after trailing by 21 points with one quarter remaining.
Nick Young scored 19 points off the bench,including a flurry of three straight three-pointers in the fourth,Chris Paul made two game-winning free throws with 23 seconds left and Los Angeles ended the game with an astonishing 28-3 run. Memphis Rudy Gay scored 19 but missed a shot as time expired that would have salvaged a victory which looked certain for most of the game.
In other playoff action,the San Antonio Spurs,LA Lakers and Atlanta all took 1-0 leads in their best-of-seven series with the Hawks upsetting a Boston Celtics team who could lose one of their key players after an ugly altercation. Bostons Rajon Rondo may face post-season suspension after a 83-74 home loss. Rondo was given a technical foul in the final minute and made matters worse by bumping referee Marc Davis,earning an ejection.