Memphis Grizzlies Beat Clippers 118-105 In Game 6, Advance To Western Conference Semifinals (VIDEO)

Zach Randolph #50 of the Memphis Grizzlies gestures toward the Los Angeles Clippers bench after being ejected from Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at FedExForum on May 3, 2013 in Memphis, Tennessee.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Grizzlies refused to be pushed around, especially on their home court, and now they're headed back to the Western Conference semifinals for the second time in three seasons.

Mike Conley and Zach Randolph scored 23 points each, and the Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers 118-105 on Friday night to take the first-round series 4-2.

The Grizzlies had never won four straight postseason games before this series. They became only the 10th team in NBA history to win four straight after trailing 0-2 – the first to win the next four all by double digits.

They will open the second round at Oklahoma City on Sunday in a rematch of the franchise's only other Western semifinal that the Thunder won in seven games in 2011.

"Now this series is over," Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said. "It's time to enjoy tonight and be ready tomorrow. It's a quick turnaround, so we can enjoy tonight."

Memphis finished with seven players in double figures. Tony Allen had a postseason-best 19 points, and Jerryd Bayless had 16.

Reserve Matt Barnes scored a career playoff-best 30 points for Los Angeles. Chris Paul had 28 points before being ejected with 2:29 left for crashing into Gasol off a missed free throw, though he shook hands with several Grizzlies before going to the locker room.

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, whose contract is up after this season, said he didn't understand how Paul could be thrown out of the game. Paul had never been ejected from the playoffs before, and he thanked an unnamed friend for reminding him to watch what he said to reporters.

"I got kids to feed," Paul said.

Blake Griffin didn't start because of his sprained right ankle, and he scored nine points in 13:56. Del Negro said Griffin's ankle was as big as a grapefruit limiting him to a few minutes at a stretch. Paul also is a free agent July 1, leaving plenty of decisions to be made about where the Clippers go from here.

"This is not how we wanted it to end," Griffin said.

NBA Commissioner David Stern was on hand along with Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones. Conley had old Ohio State teammate Greg Oden in the arena as well.

Having the commissioner on hand didn't slow anyone down in a game featuring lots of headlocks and knockdowns with the only thing missing a steel cage as they combined for seven technicals.

Even Grant Hill had three fouls in 3 minutes in the first half, and Chauncey Billups got a flagrant-1.

"They came out threw and everything at us," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said of the Clippers. "They played small. They played smaller. They pressed. They zoned. They gave hard fouls. They really competed. We held our poise. Held up mentally tough-wise and were able to get the win."

Randolph was ejected, too, with 1:57 remaining. He tossed his headband toward the stands and celebrated as he walked to the locker room.

"I was just talking to the bench and exchanging words and (official) Joey (Crawford) he don't play so he tossed me," Randolph said with a slight smile.

The Clippers set a franchise record going 56-32 in the regular season, earning the No. 4 seed. They won the first two in Los Angeles but came into Game 6 trying to avoid being eliminated by the team they beat in seven in the first round a year ago.

They had hoped to force Game 7 back in Los Angeles on Sunday only to lose four consecutive games for only the third time all season.

"We took too long to come to the fight," Paul said. "We waited to Gam 6 to start to play aggressively and match their intensity. I don't even know how many free throws they shot tonight. Maybe more than the field goal attempts that we got."

It only seemed that way as the Grizzlies went 38 of 47 at the line while the Clippers shot 41 of 78 from the floor. Billups credited the Grizzlies for never letting them get into a rhythm or their Lob City run and gun approach.

"Because of that, we lose the series," Billups said.

Los Angeles led only once – at 45-44 on Barnes' fourth 3-pointer with 5:08 left in the second quarter. The teams had four more ties before Quincy Pondexter hit a 3 with 2:02 left putting the Grizzlies ahead to stay at 54-51.

The Clippers had one last run, a 10-1 spurt capped by Butler's 20-foot jumper with 5:16 left pulling them within 103-97. Conley hit a 3 followed by a 3 from Bayless, and Randolph's scored inside with 3:06 remaining to push the lead back to double digits at 111-99.

It was so physical that Hollins sprinted onto the court in the second quarter after Butler went over Gasol's back for a rebound, leaving the Grizzlies center on the court pushing Butler's leg away as he got up.

Billups had as many fouls (four) as points (four). He got a flagrant-1 in the third when he put his body into Conley trying to stop a fast-break layup attempt and putting his right arm around Conley's neck as they went to the floor.

Conley hit the free throws, then hit a 3-pointer from the left corner giving the Grizzlies a 74-61 lead with 7:11 left.

After the bucket, Randolph and Griffin wrestled themselves to the court in a tangle of bodies. That earned the duo their fourth double-foul in this series with Randolph getting a technical.

Paul picked up his own technical from Crawford for his disgust when Randolph scored and picked up the foul.

Griffin said the tape will speak for what happened on that play but he felt a hand on his neck. Randolph said Griffin was pulling him down so he tried to brace for the fall.

And Griffin was called for a technical in the fourth when he knocked down Allen on a drive to the basket after the Grizzlies guard already had been fouled by Barnes. Bayless hit the free throw for the technical, and Allen added his two pushing the lead back to 97-87.

Notes: Hollins played for one of the nine teams that rallied from a 0-2 deficit. He was with Portland in 1977 when the Trail Blazers rallied to beat Philadelphia for the NBA championship. ... The Clippers did manage to snap a streak by the Grizzlies. Memphis had held opponents to 25 points or fewer in the third quarter in 52 straight games since Jan. 14, a streak 25 games longer than any other in the shot clock era. But the Clippers scored 26 in the third. ... Memphis went 23-1 in the regular season when scoring at least 100 points and is 3-0 in the postseason.

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Nehemiah Griego, New Mexico Teen Accused Of Murdering Family, Planned Attack In Advance: Police

This undated photo provided by Eric Griego shows Nehemiah Griego. Griego is charged with killing five family members, including his father, mother, and three youngest siblings in Albuquerque, N.M.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For at least a week, 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego had been planning the attack, authorities said.

After shooting his mother and three siblings in their beds, he ambushed his father as the pastor returned home from an overnight shift at a homeless shelter. Then the teen reloaded the family's rifles.

His plan was to randomly shoot people at a Wal-Mart on Saturday, which happened to be "Guns Across America" day, until he could be killed in a shootout with law enforcement, according to authorities.

He also contemplated killing his 12-year-old girlfriend's parents, Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston said Tuesday.

And while Griego loaded guns and ammunition into the family's van, Houston said, it was unclear whether the teen did go to a Wal-Mart or how seriously he contemplated continuing his rampage on the same day that thousands of gun advocates gathered peacefully at state capitals around the country to rally against stricter limits on firearms.

The "Guns Across America" events were held after President Barack Obama unveiled a sweeping package of federal gun-control proposals.

What authorities know, the sheriff said, was that Griego texted a picture of his dead mother to his girlfriend, then spent much of Saturday with her and her family, authorities said. That evening, he went to the church where his father once worked and eventually confessed later that night to killing his parents and three younger siblings, authorities said.

The sheriff said he didn't know if Griego's contact with his girlfriend avoided further bloodshed. But he said she apparently knew what had happened, and officials were investigating whether she should be charged with failing to report the crime.

"We know Nehemiah had been contemplating this for some time," Houston told reporters at a news conference. Griego apparently had told others of his plans, but whom and when were still under investigation, Houston said.

The motive, Houston said, "was purely that he was frustrated with his mother. He did not give any further explanation."

The teen waived his right to arraignment in adult criminal court Tuesday on charges of murder and child abuse resulting in death and was ordered held without bond. He was arrested Saturday at his family's home in a rural area southwest of Albuquerque.

The sheriff's office identified the dead as Greg Griego, 51, his wife, Sarah Griego, 40, and three of their children: a 9-year-old boy, Zephania Griego, and daughters Jael Griego, 5, and Angelina Griego, 2.

According to Houston and charging documents, it began early Saturday at the family's home, when Nehemiah Griego acted on what he described to investigators as homicidal and suicidal thoughts.

Houston said the teen shot her as she slept at about 1 a.m. with a .22-caliber rifle the parents kept in a closet. He said he killed his siblings and then grabbed his parents' .223-caliber rifle and waited downstairs to ambush his father as he returned from work around 5 a.m.

Griego told authorities he then reloaded the two guns and put them in the family van. Houston said officers found the rifles, as well as at least a dozen rounds for the .22 and a handful of rounds for the other rifle, in the van.

At about 8 p.m., Griego went to Calvary church and told church members that his family was dead. Church officials called 911 and took Griego to his home.

Griego initially told detectives he discovered his family dead after returning from a friend's house, court documents say. The teen later confessed to shooting his mother because he "had anger issues" and was annoyed with her, the documents say.

The teen had no history of mental illness, and drugs or alcohol did not appear to be a factor, Houston said. He noted that the teen liked violent video games such as "Modern Warfare" and "Grand Theft Auto." He did not say whether he believed the games were a factor.

The boy's uncle, Eric Griego, said in an emailed statement on behalf of the family that the teen is "bright, curious and incredibly talented" with a love of music and sports.

"It is clear to those of us who know and love him that something went terribly wrong. Whether it was a mental breakdown or some deeper undiagnosed psychological issue, we can't be sure yet," the statement said.

Greg Griego was a gang member-turned pastor who had served at Calvary, one of Albuquerque's largest Christian churches. He had an extensive arrest record from his gang days, but was best known throughout the law enforcement community for his work as a voluntary chaplain.

Calvary Pastor Skip Heitzig said in a statement Tuesday that the deaths have stunned the church community. "We are doing what we can as a church body to minister to the remaining family members," he said. "Only the Lord Jesus Christ can heal this type of pain and heartache."

A records check by the Children, Youth and Families Department indicated no problems with the family and that Nehemiah Griego had never been in trouble with the law.

Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Williamson confirmed there was no history of any emergency calls to the home in the recent past.

"This is beyond any human reasoning or understanding," Houston said.

"It's horrific. What other words do you use? This is certainly the first time that I have been into a crime scene with this much destruction at one home."

In addition to the two rifles, two pistol-grip shotguns were in the home, Houston said. Griego's father taught him to use guns, and they shot together on a regular basis, Houston said.

Eric Griego's statement said the family had "differing views on gun rights and gun control" and asked the media "to not use Nehemiah as a pawn for ratings or to score political points.

"He is a troubled young man who made a terrible decision that will haunt him and his family forever."

___

Associated Press writer Jeri Clausing contributed to this report.

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