Blake Griffin likes physical battles against Zach Randolph

MEMPHIS, Tenn — With all the pushing, shoving, grabbing and holding that goes on between Blake Griffin and Zach Randolph, Griffin was asked if it has been easy to maintain his composure in the battle of All-Star power forwards.

“Not really,” Griffin acknowledged.

And yet Griffin has. That’s because he knows the Clippers need him during the Western Conference first-round series against the Grizzlies.

“Sometimes it’s a call you don’t agree with,” Griffin said, “but that’s like every other game.”

In the first two playoff games, Griffin and Randolph were called for double fouls.

During the regular season, Griffin and Randolph were called for double fouls in two of the four games the two teams played.

“But in a way it’s not really hard to maintain your composure from the standpoint that when the game gets physical, I expect it and we’ve played I don’t know how many times [16] over the past two seasons,” Griffin said. “So I’m kind of used to it.”

Griffin and Randolph both make their living down low, using their strength to score.

“It’s one of those things where it’s going to be a physical game,” Griffin said. “Sometimes you have to sacrifice some fouls. I like when games are physical. I look forward to it.”

Billups making strides

Chauncey Billups is playing in only his 24th game of the season, so it’s not a total surprise that his play has been somewhat up and down in the first two playoff games.

In Game 1, Billups had 14 points on four-for-eight shooting, two for four on three-pointers, in 21 minutes, making four of five free throws.

In Game 2, Billups had five points on two-for-eight shooting, one for four on three-pointers, in 22:57. He didn’t get to the foul line in that game.

“Health is always an issue,” Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said about Billups. “But he’s feeling good right now. It’s the playoffs and he’s ready to go.”

Billups played in 22 regular-season games, missing 60 because of an assortment of injuries. He missed the first 14 games recovering from left Achilles’ tendon surgery, 34 because of tendinitis in his left foot, one because of a sore lower back and 11 because of a strained right groin.

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