LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers know they probably won’t get away with another inept performance at the free-throw line in the Western Conference playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies.

”We just can’t let leads go like that, when we’re up six with, I think, 40 seconds left,” Nick Young said Sunday. ”We had everybody in here shooting free throws today.”

The Clippers missed 17 of 30 free throws and almost squandered a six-point lead in the final 23 seconds Saturday, beating the Grizzlies 87-86 only after Rudy Gay missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Game 4 is Monday night, when the Clippers hope to take a 3-1 series lead.

Chris Paul, who had 24 points and 11 assists, was the only Clippers player to do well at the line. He made seven of eight, including two with 23 seconds left for the six-point lead.

The Clippers took six more free throws, missing the last five. Gay hit two 3-pointers to keep the Grizzlies in it.

”Some players haven’t been in that situation, especially with us being in the playoff atmosphere,” Young said. ”You’ve really kind of got like the game in your hands when you’re at the free-throw line. That can be a lot of pressure, with everybody telling you, ‘We need this shot. We need you to make these free throws.

”We’ve just got to take care of home court, really. You shouldn’t have that much pressure at home.”

Coach Vinny Del Negro agreed.

”The bottom line is you’ve got to make the free throws,” he said. ”We’ve struggled with that periodically throughout the season. We were able to overcome it but you have to be very good in a lot of other areas when you miss that many free throws.

”I give the guys a lot of credit for buckling down in the fourth quarter and getting stops and making plays when we had to. We gave them some opportunities by missing some free throws. We’re going to be aggressive and get to the line as much as possible and guys are going to have to step up and make them.”

The Grizzles made 30 of 39 free throws. But they went nearly seven minutes without making a field goal, until Gay buried a 3 with 12.9 seconds left to pull to 86-83.

Del Negro said it’s been a big boost mentally to have forward Caron Butler being able to play despite breaking his non-shooting left hand in Game 1. Butler missed the second game but played Saturday with a split, getting four points and three rebounds.

”It felt comfortable enough to be somewhat effective out there, so I gave it a shot,” he said. ”The role that I’m playing right now, what I’m doing, I can play with no hands. It’s not a big deal. I can play.”

The Grizzlies canceled their practice on Sunday, opting to just watch film.

Gay said there were no secrets to why the Grizzlies have lost twice in this series, including the opener when they blew a 27-point lead at home.

”I think we know what we can be,” he said Saturday. ”The first game we got away from how we played basketball. When we play our way, I feel as though we are a better team.”

The Los Angeles Clippers want to get more physical with the Memphis Grizzlies while reintroducing their long-suffering fans to playoff basketball.

To Blake Griffin, it’s simple.

”We have to be the more aggressive team. That’s the biggest thing,” Griffin said Friday.

The Clippers will get their chance in front of a friendly crowd at Staples Center in Game 3 on Saturday. The winner will take a 2-1 lead in the opening-round series.

The Clippers haven’t played a home postseason game since 2006. The next two games will be in Los Angeles.

”Playing in front of the home crowd definitely can give you a little more confidence,” Griffin said. ”You’re a little bit more relaxed. Their fans are loud and they love playing in their home arena, and you can feel that energy from their team. Taking them out of that element and also putting our guys in our home element, hopefully that gives us a little boost I guess.”

Chris Paul agrees.

”I think for us it’s all about Game 3. Game 3 puts us back in the driver’s seat,” Paul said. ”But in the playoffs it’s all about controlling your home court. We went there and got one and now we’ve got to take care of our home court.”

The Clippers stunned the Grizzles in the opener by racing back from a 27-point deficit to win 99-98 Sunday night. Memphis evened the series with a 105-98 win Wednesday night.

”We’ve got to get more physical,” Paul said.”We’ve got to figure out a way to get to the free-throw line more and cut down on theirs. We came out aggressive but I don’t think we sustained it for 48 minutes. So hopefully we can do that at home.”

Memphis scored 31 points at the free-throw line in Game 2 while the Clippers scored 13. The Grizzlies shot 21 more free throws than the Clippers.

”They’re physical as it is the regular season, but they’ve stepped it up in the playoffs,” Griffin said. ”Sometimes it’s tough to differentiate between that line of being extra physical and getting called for fouls. So we’ve got to find that and take it to them.

”I think it’s just about being more aggressive and taking it to them first and not have to pick that up halfway through the game. Just being the team that attacks first.”

Said Memphis center Marc Gasol: ”It’s going to be a physical series. It’s the playoffs. We don’t expect anything less than that for the next game.”

Clippers fans regularly packed Staples Center this year.

That won’t matter much to the Grizzlies.

”It’s nothing like home, but it’s nice to be on the road and try to take something from the other team,” Gasol said.

”There is definitely no difference in preparation,” coach Lionel Hollins said. ”I just think those guys are at home and we’re in a hotel. Their routines are normal and ours are a little bit different because we are in a hotel. As far as the preparation, the practice, the mental part of it, outside of that, it’s all the same.”

Clippers forward Caron Butler practiced Friday on a limited basis while wearing a brace on his broken left hand. Coach Vinny Del Negro said he received a good report from a hand specialist and isn’t ruling Butler out. The coach said he’ll decide Butler’s status on Saturday.

”Caron is a tough guy, he’s a battler, he wants to be out there,” Del Negro said. ”But we also want to be smart about it, so I’ll evaluate it tomorrow. It was good to see him out there. I think it gives ours guys a boost because he is such a big part of our team. I give him a lot of credit for even being out there.”

The Los Angeles Clippers want to get more physical with the Memphis Grizzlies while reintroducing their long-suffering fans to playoff basketball.

To Blake Griffin, it’s simple.

”We have to be the more aggressive team. That’s the biggest thing,” Griffin said Friday.

The Clippers will get their chance in front of a friendly crowd at Staples Center in Game 3 on Saturday. The winner will take a 2-1 lead in the opening-round series.

The Clippers haven’t played a home postseason game since 2006. The next two games will be in Los Angeles.

”Playing in front of the home crowd definitely can give you a little more confidence,” Griffin said. ”You’re a little bit more relaxed. Their fans are loud and they love playing in their home arena, and you can feel that energy from their team. Taking them out of that element and also putting our guys in our home element, hopefully that gives us a little boost I guess.”

Chris Paul agrees.

”I think for us it’s all about Game 3. Game 3 puts us back in the driver’s seat,” Paul said. ”But in the playoffs it’s all about controlling your home court. We went there and got one and now we’ve got to take care of our home court.”

The Clippers stunned the Grizzles in the opener by racing back from a 27-point deficit to win 99-98 Sunday night. Memphis evened the series with a 105-98 win Wednesday night.

”We’ve got to get more physical,” Paul said.”We’ve got to figure out a way to get to the free-throw line more and cut down on theirs. We came out aggressive but I don’t think we sustained it for 48 minutes. So hopefully we can do that at home.”

Memphis scored 31 points at the free-throw line in Game 2 while the Clippers scored 13. The Grizzlies shot 21 more free throws than the Clippers.

”They’re physical as it is the regular season, but they’ve stepped it up in the playoffs,” Griffin said. ”Sometimes it’s tough to differentiate between that line of being extra physical and getting called for fouls. So we’ve got to find that and take it to them.

”I think it’s just about being more aggressive and taking it to them first and not have to pick that up halfway through the game. Just being the team that attacks first.”

Said Memphis center Marc Gasol: ”It’s going to be a physical series. It’s the playoffs. We don’t expect anything less than that for the next game.”

Clippers fans regularly packed Staples Center this year.

That won’t matter much to the Grizzlies.

”It’s nothing like home, but it’s nice to be on the road and try to take something from the other team,” Gasol said.

”There is definitely no difference in preparation,” coach Lionel Hollins said. ”I just think those guys are at home and we’re in a hotel. Their routines are normal and ours are a little bit different because we are in a hotel. As far as the preparation, the practice, the mental part of it, outside of that, it’s all the same.”

Clippers forward Caron Butler practiced Friday on a limited basis while wearing a brace on his broken left hand. Coach Vinny Del Negro said he received a good report from a hand specialist and isn’t ruling Butler out. The coach said he’ll decide Butler’s status on Saturday.

”Caron is a tough guy, he’s a battler, he wants to be out there,” Del Negro said. ”But we also want to be smart about it, so I’ll evaluate it tomorrow. It was good to see him out there. I think it gives ours guys a boost because he is such a big part of our team. I give him a lot of credit for even being out there.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The Memphis Grizzlies are continuing their winning ways headed into the postseason even if the recent performances aren’t exactly stellar.

The Grizzlies almost let a 12-point lead evaporate in the final 4 minutes before holding on for their fourth straight victory, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 93-89 on Saturday night.

Rudy Gay scored 21 points and had a key block in the final seconds to preserve the Memphis victory as the Trail Blazers scored 10 straight points down the stretch. Gay, who was 9 of 16 from the field, turned away Wesley Matthews‘ 3-point attempt with about 5 seconds left to seal the win and send the short-handed Trail Blazers to their fifth straight loss.

It marked the second straight night Memphis has struggled against a sub-.500 team. The Grizzlies had to battle in the fourth quarter Friday night before winning 85-80 at Charlotte.

”Sometimes, we play to the level of our opponents,” said Memphis center Marc Gasol, who had 12 points. ”If we play a good team, we play a lot better. If we play the not-so-good teams, we play to their level. That’s a part of the process of getting better and being a good team. At least, we get up at the end and realize that we’ve actually got to win.”

O.J. Mayo scored 14 points for Memphis, Marreese Speights had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Dante Cunningham finished with 12 points.

”Right now, we’re just trying to continue to build and get better for these playoff runs,” Cunningham said. ”Just trying to sharpen all our tools and make sure everything is right going into the playoffs.”

J.J. Hickson had 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead Portland, while Jamal Crawford had 21 points despite going 5 of 13 from the field, part of the Trail Blazers’ 37 percent shooting for the game. Matthews had 16 points and Luke Babbitt added 10.

Hickson’s performance continued a nice run for the fourth-year forward out of North Carolina State. He entered the game averaging 14.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in the 14 games since he was signed off waivers by the Blazers on March 21.

”I thought J.J. had a great night, especially on the boards” Portland coach Kaleb Canales said. ”He ended up with seven offensive rebounds. J.J. has been terrific for us, and we are excited to have him.”

The win kept Memphis’ hopes alive to try to reach the fourth seed in the Western Conference that would mean homecourt advantage in the first round. The Grizzlies moved within a half-game of the idle Los Angeles Clippers, who hold the fourth spot.

Memphis dominated inside holding a 58-32 advantage in the paint, and seemed in control until a final Portland burst late in the fourth quarter.

Hickson scored seven early points in the fourth, part of a 10-2 run that pulled Portland within 83-77 with about 7 minutes left.

Memphis coach Lionel Hollins responded by putting his starters back in the game. The Grizzlies rebuilt the lead to double digits as Gay scored inside and Gasol had two baskets.

Still, the Trail Blazers pushed back with 10 straight points and trailed 91-89 with 10.1 seconds left and they had the ball.

But after Gay blocked Matthews’ 3-point attempt with about 5 seconds remaining, Mayo hit two free throws with 3.2 seconds left for the final margin.

”I was just trying to make a play,” Gay said of the block. ”I wanted to body him up and try to contest the shot. Obviously, he’s one of those guys who can hit that shot, so I kind of knew he was going to shoot it.”

The Portland push that fell just short still made for a valiant effort from the Trail Blazers, who were short-handed and playing without key pieces, such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Joel Przybilla and Raymond Felton. Nicolas Batum, the team’s second-leading scorer at 13.9 points a game, was with the team but did not dress against Memphis with left quadriceps tendinitis.

”We just knew we had to give ourselves a chance,” Crawford said. ”We are banged up. Everybody is banged up. We are missing a lot of key guys.”

Memphis led 54-45 at halftime, bolstered by Mayo’s nine points in the second quarter. The Grizzlies outscored Portland 30-18 in the period, erasing an early deficit.

Memphis connected on its first five shots in the game, but managed to shoot 49 percent in the half. The Blazers, meanwhile, were at 38 percent. Seven turnovers, leading to 10 Memphis points, also hindered Portland, while Memphis committed three miscues.

Portland would end the game with 15 turnovers compared to 10 for Memphis.

The Trail Blazers were within striking distance at the end because they outscored Memphis 22-14 in the final period as the Grizzlies shot only 24 percent in the quarter.

”We held a very good team to 14 points in the fourth quarter,” Canales said. ”That is the defense that I am talking about, continuing to build. We responded in the second half.

”We put ourselves in a good position down the stretch, but just didn’t make enough good plays.”

Memphis has won 14 of its last 18 games, a stretch that included road wins at Oklahoma City, Miami and in Los Angeles over the Lakers. The Grizzlies also have home wins over Dallas and the Clippers.

”Those are the kind of games these guys get up for,” Hollins said. ”Then after we had that stretch of those teams, all of a sudden, we get a stretch of a bunch of teams that aren’t in the playoffs. I can’t say we struggled. We haven’t been as focused to go out and dominate them. But we won the game, and that’s also important.”

Notes: C Hasheem Thabeet, the second overall pick in the 2009 draft by the Grizzlies, started for Portland, his second start of the season. … Portland, facing all kinds of injury problems, dressed only nine players. … The Trail Blazers entered the game with a three-game winning streak in the series. … Memphis F Zach Randolph did not play. Asked about it before the game, Randolph said ”rest.” The stat sheet said ”DNP-Coach’s Decision.”… .Memphis has won a season-high nine consecutive home games. … Hickson’s 13 rebounds matched his season high.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley made two free throws with 10 seconds left to secure an 85-80 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

The loss was the Bobcats’ 19th in a row. Charlotte got 32 points from Gerald Henderson. Conley finished with 20 points and seven assists.

The Bobcats had the ball, down three with 18 seconds left, when Henderson stole the ball from ex-Bobcat Dante Cunningham. But Henderson lost the ball in lane attempting a drive, forcing Bismack Biyombo to foul Conley.

The Grizzlies made up all of an eight-point deficit in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. Conley’s driving layup made it a 71-71 game with just over seven minutes left. The Grizzlies built a six-point lead with 5 { minutes left on three consecutive dunks – two by Cunningham and a third by Marreese Speights. Both of Cunningham’s transition dunks came off Kemba Walker turnovers.

The Bobcats took a 65-57 lead in the fourth quarter after Memphis had closed the gap to 52-51 on Conley’s bucket. Wings Henderson and Brown got to the rim the last three minutes of the third quarter to build that edge entering the final quarter.

The Bobcats led by as much as 13 in the first half before going into halftime leading 39-37. It was a pretty sloppy half, with the two teams combining for 25 turnovers.

The Bobcats were shorthanded, with just nine players available, after point guard D.J. Augustin and power forward Tyrus Thomas were both scratched from the lineup with knee injuries. Things got more complicated on the injury front midway through the second quarter when point guard Walker limped off the court with a right ankle sprain. But Walker would return in the second half.

Before the injury, Walker was doing a fine job of pushing the tempo, pursuing transition baskets off those 13 Memphis turnovers. Henderson carried the Bobcats offensively with 17 first-half points in 19 minutes.

After giving up the game’s first two baskets, the Bobcats scored 17 unanswered points. Henderson scored eight of those points and Byron Mullens, now starting at center, was more active inside than usual. Mullens, a 7-footer, finished the half with nine points and nine rebounds, including a tip-in for the 17-4 lead.

The Grizzlies came back with 11 straight points. Conley hit a 3-pointer to close the Bobcats’ lead to two late in the first quarter and the game remained close the rest of the half. Memphis briefly took the lead when ex-Bobcat Dante Cunningham hit a layup midway through the second quarter.

The Bobcats have one game left in this five-game home stand, Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.

———

Visit The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) at www.charlotteobserver.com

About the Grizzlies: Memphis clinched a playoff berth Wednesday night with a 103-91 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.  Before Friday night’s games, the Grizzlies were in fifth place in the Western Conference, 1-1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers, and positioned to finish as high as third heading into the postseason. … Gay leads the NBA in dunks and is the only player in the league with at least 100 dunks and 40 three-pointers. … Before Friday night’s game at Charlotte, Conley ranked second in the NBA in steals (129). … Gasol is averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists (3.2). Gasol earned his first All-Star game selection this season. He’s the third Memphis player to earn the honor, joining teammate Zach Randolph and brother Pau Gasol. … Randolph, the former Blazers forward, is now part of the second unit for the Grizzlies.  

Given their recent dominance at home, the Memphis Grizzlies know how valuable fourth place in the Western Conference would be.

A matchup with the slumping Portland Trail Blazers could help them inch closer to securing that spot.

Seeking a ninth consecutive win at FedExForum, Memphis squares off against a Portland team looking to snap its longest losing streak of the season Saturday night.

Winners of 11 of 14 overall, the Grizzlies (38-25) locked up no worse than the fifth seed Friday, concluding their road schedule with a 85-80 victory over Charlotte. Mike Conley posted team highs of 20 points and seven assists while Zach Randolph scored 14 off the bench for Memphis, which moved within a game of the Los Angeles Clippers, current owners of the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“This was one we needed,” Conley said. “This was a big win for us. We locked up the fifth spot and now we have a shot at the fourth seed, so we needed this win.”

While the Clippers’ remaining schedule includes visits to Atlanta and New York, the Grizzlies could have a leg up with three in a row at home. Memphis, which hosts Cleveland and Orlando following this contest, hasn’t lost at home in more a month, winning eight in a row while limiting opponents to an average of 91.0 points.

Offensively, the Grizzlies are averaging 103.3 points on 49.8 percent shooting over their last three home games. They haven’t won nine straight on their own floor since a franchise-best 11-game run Dec. 18-Jan. 25, 2010.

Two nights after being officially eliminated from postseason contention with a 125-107 loss at Phoenix, Portland (28-35) suffered its fourth straight defeat Wednesday, falling 112-91 in its home finale to Utah.

“I’ll continue to say it. I believe it – we do have the best fans in the world,” interim coach Kaleb Canales told the Blazers’ official website. “It’s been a challenging season for us but we appreciate what they mean to us.”

Despite being assured of their first losing record since going 32-50 in 2006-07, the Blazers seem upbeat as they open a season-ending three-game road trip that also includes visits to San Antonio and Utah.

“To be honest with you, I’m really excited, because this is being thrown into the fire for our guys because we’re playing three teams that are battling for playoff positions,” Canales added. “It’s an exciting time for us.”

The Blazers, who last week shut down LaMarcus Aldridge for the rest of the season due to a right hip injury, will also be without Joel Przybilla (bronchitis) and Raymond Felton (personal reasons) in this one.

Portland had won eight straight at Memphis before falling 86-73 in its last visit Dec. 13, 2010. The Blazers have taken three straight overall matchups in this series – all at the Rose Garden.

Guard Lester Hudson was inactive Friday night after signing with the Grizzlies earlier in the day. His status for this game is unknown.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)

The Memphis Grizzlies needed a spark late and Mike Conley provided it.

Conley scored nine of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter and the Grizzlies came alive defensively, hanging on to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 85-80 on Friday night and avoiding a humiliating loss to the worst team in the league.

The win assures the Grizzlies no worse than the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a shot to still move up to fourth.

The Grizzlies overcame an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit and a career-high-tying 32-point effort from Gerald Henderson of the Bobcats, who extended the franchise record with their 19th straight loss.

Conley admits it was ”much tougher” than expected.

”We knew they were playing for pride and we’ve been in that situation on the opposite end and we knew we were going to get their best effort,” Conley said.

For the Bobcats (7-55), the misery continues.

On the 25-year anniversary of Michael Jordan scoring a NBA playoff-record 63 points against the Boston Celtics, the team Jordan now owns took a step closer toward cementing a dubious spot in league history. If the Bobcats lose their final four games they will finish with the worst winning percentage in NBA history.

”Everyone knows what we’re playing for,” Henderson said. ”We don’t want to set that record. There was a little more sense of urgency in our play tonight.”

Conley credited the win to the team’s defense in the fourth quarter that forced seven turnovers.

Henderson’s 3-pointer got the Bobcats within three points with 20 seconds left, but he turned the ball over in the lane with 10.8 seconds left on the next possession. Conley was immediately fouled and hit two free throws the seal the victory.

”We gave it away,” Henderson said. ”We had some possessions where they just took the ball from us. That led to some fast break dunks. You know, against a team like that, you have to execute on offense and you can’t give them easy buckets coming down the stretch.”

Said Conley: ”Defensively we put a lot of pressure on them and made them take tough shots down the stretch.”

Zach Randolph added 14 points for Memphis (38-25).

It was a frustrating night for Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, who expected a little more from his team against a Bobcats team that has been beaten on average by nearly 14 points per game this season.

”I finally found a group that both had chemistry out on the court and played with a little bit of energy and a little bit of enthusiasm and wanted to just be out there and play,” Hollins said.

The Grizzlies outscored the Bobcats 28-15 in the fourth quarter, primarily in pick and rolls in the offensive set and run-outs.

”We didn’t even try to throw the ball in the post,” Hollins said. ”We just attacked them in the pick and roll, pick and roll, and we were able to get layups and dump offs. That was the key to the game. We did a much better job defensively as well in the fourth quarter of stopping their guys from scoring.”

The took a 17-4 lead behind 11 points by Henderson, leaving fans to wonder if the losing streak might finally come to an end. But the lead was short-lived as Marc Gasol scored six straight points and the Grizzlies led 39-37 at halftime.

Charlotte took a 65-57 lead into the fourth quarter, but it didn’t take long for the Grizzlies to erase that deficit.

Conley began driving to the hole and soon the game was tied at 71.

Ex-Bobcat Dante Cunningham had uncontested fastbreak dunks on consecutive possessions. Marreese Speights added another dunk off a feed from Conley with 5:25 left. Conley, who had seven assists, then hit another driving layup to push the lead to eight.

The pesky Bobcats cut the lead to three points on two occasions, but couldn’t get any closer.

”This was one we needed,” Conley said. ”This was a big win for us. We locked up the fifth spot and now we have a shot at the fourth seed, so we needed this win.”

Despite the loss, Bobcats coach Paul Silas was proud of how hard this team fought.

”This is the experience we need,” Silas said. ”We really are not an experienced team but any team that we play we have to believe we can be as tough as them and we were tonight. We didn’t back down. We didn’t give up. We just kept going at it.”

Notes: Memphis’ Rudy Gay and Charlotte’s Bimack Biyombo had to be separated after coming face-to-face in the game’s final 45 seconds. Both were given technical fouls. … The teams combined for 40 turnovers. … Henderson has scored 20 or more points in four of his last seven games. … Conley is averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds over his last three starts.

Gay was on 9 of 14 from the field and Conley hit 8 of 11 as the Grizzlies shot 51 percent overall. O.J. Mayo scored 15 points and Zach Randolph added 10 for Memphis, which won for the 10th time in 13 games.

Rookie Jerome Dyson led the Hornets with a career-high 24 points, while Carl Landry finished with 16, hitting all four of his shots from the field and going 8 of 9 from the line. Marco Belinelli matched Landry’s 16 points, and Jason Smith finished with 12.

The loss snapped New Orleans’ four-game winning streak.

With the victory, Memphis maintained its hold on the fifth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Grizzlies’ start was hardly representative of a team trying to clinch a playoff berth. They struggled and seemed content to ignore their offensive plans, relying more on a one-on-one mentality.

Only a ramped-up defensive approach in the closing minutes of the first half kept Memphis close.

Memphis opened the third quarter on a 20-4 run, hitting its first nine shots in the period. Meanwhile, the defense forced six turnovers and allowed New Orleans only five shots in the first 6 minutes of the quarter.

The rally gave Memphis a 67-52 lead midway through the third quarter. The Grizzlies would continue to build the lead to as many as 24 points as they outscored the Hornets 37-12. Gay had 13 in the quarter, and the Grizzlies forced 11 turnovers in the third alone.

That was enough for the smiles to emerge from the Memphis bench, and the reserves to get extended minutes, playing the bulk of the fourth quarter.

Belinelli’s 3-pointer with just over a second left in the half gave him 14 points and the Hornets a 48-47 lead.

Belinelli connected on 6 of 11 shots in the half, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range, part of the Hornets shooting 54 percent.

Memphis, which has a reputation as one of the league’s strongest inside teams, decided to rely on long-range shooting, hitting only one of its eight shots from outside the arc. Still, Memphis had a 34-18 advantage in the paint, and the Hornets were hindered by nine turnovers.

Memphis ended the game outscoring the Hornets 56-34 in the paint, and New Orleans committed 24 turnovers.

Notes: The Hornets defeated Memphis 88-75 on Sunday in New Orleans. .Memphis reserve G Gilbert Arenas sat out the game with an injured finger on his shooting hand. .The Hornets announced before the game that C Chris Kaman likely will miss the rest of the season with a bruised left tibia. G Jarrett Jack already is out with a right foot stress fracture and C Emeka Okafor is likely gone for the last four games with a sore left knee. .The Hornets signed 6-foot-11 C Darryl Watkins to a 10-day contract Wednesday. Watkins had two points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots against Memphis.

The Memphis Grizzlies are back in the playoffs, but they want to advance further than they did last season.

The bar is set much lower in Charlotte.

Memphis’ push for home-court advantage in the opening round of the postseason continues Friday night when the Bobcats try to end a franchise-record 18-game losing streak with their fifth straight home win in this series.

After making the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006 and winning their first-ever postseason series, the Grizzlies (37-25) clinched another playoff spot Wednesday with a 103-91 victory over Western Conference-worst New Orleans.

Memphis, though, is not satisfied with just being one of the top eight teams in the West. The Grizzlies have their eyes on a bigger prize after knocking out San Antonio in the West quarterfinals last season before pushing Oklahoma City to seven games in the next round.

“We have high expectations for ourselves,” guard O.J. Mayo said Wednesday after scoring 15 points. “It’s obviously the highest of expectations is to win a ring. Last year, we could just be happy to be there. This year, we definitely have a different focus. And we feel like we’re supposed to be there.”

The question now is where Memphis, which has won 12 of 16, will open the postseason. Currently fifth in the West, the Grizzlies have an outside chance to move up a spot if the Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers fall.

While the Grizzlies prepare for what they hope is a deep playoff run, the lowly Bobcats’ only hope is to win one of their final five games to avoid the worst winning percentage in NBA history.

If Charlotte (7-54) can’t win another game, it will finish with a winning percentage of .106. The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers went 9-73 for a .110 winning percentage.

“We don’t want to set that record,” guard Gerald Henderson said after the Bobcats lost an 18th straight game Wednesday – 100-68 to Chicago. “That’s something that we’re thinking about and we’ve talked about. We just want to win. That’s my sole goal.”

But if the Bobcats are going to avoid that dubious distinction, they’ll likely have to start shooting with more accuracy. They shot a season-low 29.8 percent against the Bulls, surpassing a mark set two nights earlier (30.3 percent) in a 75-67 loss to the Hornets.

“That’s been our problem all year,” said Bobcats coach Paul Silas, whose team is converting a league-worst 41.4 percent.

Charlotte, though, has hit 48.8 percent while winning six of eight against Memphis.

The Bobcats won 96-82 in the Grizzlies’ last visit to Time Warner Cable Arena on Jan. 10, 2011.

Memphis forward Rudy Gay, who finished with 13 points in that defeat, is scoring 24.5 per game – 5.4 more than his season average – over the last eight contests overall.

“I’m going to keep going out there and being aggressive,” Gay said. “That’s what I do. I’m a scorer by heart, and you can’t score without shooting.”

Memphis, 14-18 away from home, closes the road portion of its schedule Friday.

The Bobcats have dropped 11 in a row at home since a 107-103 victory over Toronto on March 17. That was also Charlotte’s last win anywhere.

Stats that stand out from the New Orleans Hornets’ 103-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

1.3. Total shots made by the Hornets in the third quarter, all from forward Jason Smith.

2.14-16. Free throws made and attempted by backup point guard Jerome Dyson, who scored a team-high 24 points.

3.24. Turnovers committed by the Hornets.

4.28. Minutes played by Darryl Watkins, who was acquired on the day of the game.

5. 56. Points scored in the post by the Grizzlies.

 +/- rating for every Hornet player

Landry +4

Thomas -1

Vasquez -25

Henry -4

Belinelli -17

Aminu -3

Smith -16

Ayon -4

Dyson +13

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Grizzlies 23,  Hornets 21

Hornets points in the paint: six.

Grizzlies points in the paint: 16.

Hornets second chance points: two.

Grizzlies second chance points: six.

Hornets fast-break points: four.

Grizzlies fast-break points: two.

Hornets biggest lead: two.

Grizzlies biggest lead: four.

Times tied: seven.

Hornets leading scorer: Marco Belinelli, six.

Grizzlies leading scorer: Rudy Gay, nine.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Hornets 27, Grizzlies 24

Hornets points in the paint: 12.

Grizzlies points in the paint: 18.

Hornets second chance points: four.

Grizzlies second chance points: two.

Hornets fast-break points: zero.

Grizzlies fast-break points: four.

Hornets biggest lead: six.

Grizzlies biggest lead: three.

Times tied: three.

Hornets leading scorer: Belinelli, eight.

Grizzlies leading scorer: Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, six.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Grizzlies 37, Hornets 12

Hornets points in the paint: four.

Grizzlies points in the paint: 16.

Hornets second chance points: two.

Grizzlies second chance points: four.

Hornets fast-break points: two.

Grizzlies fast-break points: four.

Hornets biggest lead: one.

Grizzlies biggest lead: 24.

Times tied: one.

Hornets leading scorer: Jason Smith, six.

Grizzlies leading scorer: Rudy Gay, 13.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Hornets 31, Grizzlies 19

Hornets points in the paint: 12.

Grizzlies points in the paint: six.

Hornets second chance points: nine.

Grizzlies second chance points: five.

Hornets fast-break points: six.

Grizzlies fast-break points: zero.

Hornets biggest lead: zero.

Grizzlies biggest lead: 24.

Times tied: zero.

Hornets leading scorer:  Jerome Dyson, 13.

Grizzlies leading scorer: O.J. Mayo, seven.