Apr 20, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers small forward Caron Butler (5) and point guard Chauncey Billups (1) congratulate each other at the end of the first quarter during game one of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against Memphis Grizzlies at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

If there’s one thing that we know for sure, it’s that the Clippers are capable of handling a lot of pressure. For example, Chris Paul lead them to a huge comeback last year in the playoffs, were they nearly shut out the best defensive team in the NBA, in the fourth quarter. The panic meter shouldn’t be too high for the Clippers, but then again, they’re coming into Memphis and looking to tie the series up. That’s facing adversity right there.

With that being said, many Clipper players who were excellent in the regular season, such as Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups (kind of), need to step it up right now. This could be the Clippers’ last game of the season, and they’re going to need production from each crucial player. Blake Griffin has played pretty well, Chris Paul is his usual self, and Jamal Crawford is looking more and more like a snub for the sixth man award.

Caron Butler:

The Flashiness that Butler brings cannot really be ignored. The Clippers need him to throw down some hammer dunks if they want to get some momentum and take some confidence away from the Grizzlies. He may be old, but everyone knows that he’s still a high-riser. He can also hit 3-pointers like no other. When given the open shot, he’ll go 4/4 in a quarter, and make your team look silly. He’s that kind of player. In the playoffs, however, he’s choked and is averaging a mere 7.4 points per game. What gives?

Chauncey Billups:

“Billups for three.. HE HIT IT!” What happened to that good old Billups that used to hit game winning half court shots in the NBA Finals? He may have been effected by age, but I guarantee you that he can still produce good number like 13 pointers per game. Unfortunately for the Clippers, he hasn’t really been doing that lately, at all. Willie Green isn’t as effective of course, but Billups is supposed to be a huge upgrade. If the game comes down to a close situation, the Clippers should let Billups handle the basketball.

If these two players chip in more than they’ve been chipping in, the Clippers offense will start to flow. The injury bug is bothersome, yes, but sometimes when it’s the postseason and you’re fighting for your lives, you may want to suffer through your pain. For example, I’m sure Blake Griffin is going to play against Memphis tomorrow night.

The Clippers had 47 rebounds in the contest compared to 24 by the Grizzlies. It wasn’t one guy with 20 or another guy with 12; no Clipper player had double figure rebounds in the box score. It was a collective effort as shown below with leading rebounders from the Clippers win over the Grizzlies 112-91.

Leading Clipper Rebounders:
DeAndre Jordan: 8
Caron Butler: 7
Lamar Odom: 7
Eric Bledsoe: 6

Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe had the same amount of rebounds the as Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combined. Randolph averaged 11.3rpg…Gasol averaged 7.rpg respectively. I’d be surprised to see the same statistic tonight as the Grizzlies face the Clippers in the 2nd game of the 1st Round of the NBA Playoffs.

Clipper Highlight of The Night:

THEY SAID IT:
On the approach to Game 2 after winning the series opener: Lamar Odom: “Our discipline is important, especially at this time of year. It’s easy to let your guard down, especially after a little bit of success. I think mentally right now we’re prepared and we’re up for the challenge. I’m pretty sure they are as well.”

On what the team emphasized improving from Game 1 to 2: Eric Bledsoe: “We can give more defensive effort, run our offense better. There are a lot of areas we can get better, you know, giving 110 [percent effort] on hustle plays. It’s everything.” “We’ve beat them four out of five games, so they’re definitely going to want to come in here tonight and prove a point. We’ve just got to match that intensity.”

On what he expects from the Grizzlies in Game 2: Jamal Crawford: “This is an important game. This game here can kind of shift the series, either 2-0 or 1-1. We understand they’re a desperate team, but we have to play as a desperate team as well.”

VIA Eric Patten NBA.COM