Are you watching the first-round series between the Spurs and the Clippers? ARE YOU WATCHING THE FIRST-ROUND SERIES BETWEEN THE SPURS AND THE CLIPPERS? Because it has been MAGNIFICENT -- one of the best NBA playoff series I can ever remember. On the one hand you have the aged Spurs (with a few youthful ringers), trying to defend the NBA title they won last year. On the other hand, you have the Clippers -- a team with big stars in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and a former NBA title-winning coach in Doc Rivers. But while the Spurs are famous for winning big games, the Clippers are under enormous pressure to finally live up to their explosive potential.
Often, a big series like this looks much better on paper than it appears in person. (Just remember the disastrous NBA Final in 2012 between the Heat and the Thunder). But not this series. Both teams have played extremely well, and the games have see-sawed back and forth. Look at what's happened so far (home teams listed first):
4/19/15: Los Angeles 107 - 92 San Antonio
4/22/15: Los Angeles 107 - 111 San Antonio (OT)
4/24/15: San Antonio 100 - 73 Los Angeles
4/26/15: San Antonio 105 - 114 Los Angeles
4/28/15: Los Angeles 107 - 111 San Antonio
4/30/15: San Antonio 96 - 102 Los Angeles
So there have been four games in this series where the road team had its back against the wall. In all four games, the road team pulled out the victory -- including the last three games in a row. I can't remember a more dramatic first round NBA series -- and few more dramatic series in any round.
Tomorrow night, they will play Game Seven in the Staples Center, which seems like the place where all big NBA games should take place. L.A. has always seemed like the ultimate NBA city for me, and so it's only right that this series should end there. It's a shame that when it's over, the winner doesn't get some sort of a trophy, instead of a matchup with Houston.
With the first round almost over, here's where all the series stand. Props to Brooklyn for giving Atlanta a fair amount of trouble. Sympathy to Cleveland, which still has LeBron James, but which lost Kevin Love for the year in Game Four against Boston. Kudos to Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City, who missed the playoffs -- thereby giving OKC an incentive to hire Billy Donovan. I've been waiting for Donovan to leave for the pros since about 1999. I hope he has a great career there, goes to the Hall of Fame, and never again coaches against Kentucky:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
(1) Atlanta 3 - 2 Brooklyn (8)
(4) Toronto 0 - 4 Washington (5)
(3) Chicago 4 - 2 Milwaukee (6)
(2) Cleveland 4 - 0 Boston (7)
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
(1) Golden State 4 - 0 New Orleans (8)
(4) Portland 1 - 4 Memphis (5)
(3) Los Angeles 3 - 3 San Antonio (6)
(2) Houston 4 - 1 Dallas (7)
So the next round looks like this:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Atlanta or Brooklyn v. Washington
Cleveland v. Chicago
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Golden State v. Memphis
Houston v. Los Angeles or San Antonio
Atlanta finally finished off Brooklyn, winning Game Six (in Brooklyn) by 111-87. The Hawks put up 41 points in the third quarter to put the Nets away.
ReplyDeleteSo now the first round is finished -- except for L.A. and San Antonio. After one quarter, Game 7 looks like another classic. The Spurs are up 30-28.
ReplyDeleteAt halftime, the Clippers lead 57-55. What a game this is. Both teams are 6-13 from three-point range, which gives you a sense of how efficient these two offenses can be.
ReplyDeleteThe one offensive weakness in this series occurs when L.A. DeAndre Jordan goes to the free throw line. Jordan, the Clippers' center, is a great rebounder and defender, but he is a terrible free throw shooter. He made only 39.7 percent of his free throws in the regular season, and the Spurs have sent him to the line early and often. So far, he's 25-64 from the line in this series -- and he went 2-5 in the first half of this game. It will be interesting to see how this factor plays out down the stretch.
With one quarter left, the Clippers lead 79-78. The third quarter ended with a real bang. With about 8 seconds to go, the Clippers fouled Manu Ginobli in the back court in order to delay the Spurs' attack -- but Ginobli went into a shooting motion while being fouled, and the officials gave him three free throws -- despite a vociferous (and justified) protest from Doc Rivers. Ginobli made two of three free throws to put the Spurs up 78-76, but then the Clippers raced up the floor and, with one second left, Chris Paul nailed a three pointer to put the Clippers back into the lead. That seemed only fair.
ReplyDeleteHere's how close this series is. The third quarter was the FIFTEENTH QUARTER IN A ROW where the Clippers and Spurs were separated by five points or less. I can't remember another series with so many games that were close the whole time.
ReplyDeleteTim Duncan, in what may be his last game for Spurs, has 17 points and 10 rebounds.
ReplyDeleteBoris Diaw doesn't miss shots in the fourth quarter. His jump shot puts San Antonio up 86-84 with about 9 minutes to go.
ReplyDeleteDiaw's basket actually came with about 10 minutes left. With 8:59 to go, the Spurs lead 87-86. They will have the ball when we come back from commercials.
ReplyDeleteChris Paul has 21 points. Blake Griffin has 17 points and 11 rebounds. They have been great in this series.
ReplyDeleteThe winner has to play at Houston on Monday night, which will be extremely tough. But Houston won't have it easy with either of these teams.
ReplyDeleteAfter 40 minutes, the Spurs lead 89-88. We could get scores like this in college basketball if we had this type of officiating.
ReplyDeleteThis should be the rule in college basketball: If it would be a foul if you did it against Duke, then it is a foul.
DeleteBlake Griffin makes an old-fashioned three-point play, and the Clips are up 91-89.
ReplyDeleteBut Ginobli comes back with a three-point shot. Spurs lead 92-91 with 7 minutes left.
Danny Green steals the ball. Spurs have a chance to pad their lead. But they miss.
ReplyDeleteAt the other end, Jamal Crawford misses a three-pointer for L.A.
And then Danny Green drives and draws a foul. His three-point play puts the Spurs up 95-91 with 6 minutes left.
With 5:58 left, the Clips call time. They needed to do that -- it feels like the game is slipping away from them.
ReplyDeleteSo far, the Clippers have only scored 34 points in the second half. They will have to be more efficient down the stretch.
ReplyDeleteSan Antonio immediately fouls DeAndre Jordan, who makes one of two FT's. Spurs lead 95-92 with 5:50 left.
ReplyDeleteAnd then Duncan scores to make it 97-92.
The Clips missed -- but got the ball back. Griffin is fouled, and he makes two FT's. 97-94 with 5:20 left. Jordan is out of the game.
ReplyDeleteKawai Leonard misses a driving shot, and J.J. Redick responds with a three-pointer for L.A. to make the score 97-all. With 4:57 left, the Spurs call time.
ReplyDeleteDuncan comes out of the timeout with a layup to put the Spurs up 99-97.
ReplyDeleteBut Redick responds with another three-pointer. Clips lead 100-99 with 4:10 left.
Tony Parker makes a circus-style post shot to put S.A. up 101-100.
ReplyDeleteGriffin responds with a drive, and draws a foul on Green. Griffin makes both FT's, and the Clips lead 102-101 with 3:30 left.
Diaw finally missed a shot, but the Spurs grabbed the rebound. Duncan scored and was fouled. Spurs lead 103-102.
ReplyDeleteDuncan missed the free throw -- but the Spurs get the offensive rebound.
The Spurs missed a three-pointer -- but they get another offensive rebound, and this time they score. 105-102 with 3 minutes left.
After some rather frantic back and forth, Matt Barnes hits a three-pointer to TIE THE GAME: 105-105 with 2 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteThe Spurs miss, and L.A. finally gets a rebound. But Griffin's drive down the lane is BLOCKED by Danny Green.
The Spurs come back and miss, but THEY GET ANOTHER OFFENSIVE REBOUND AND PUTBACK.
Spurs now lead 107-105 with 1:23 left, and their last six points came from offensive rebounds.
Timeout, Clippers.
San Antonio has 9 offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter.
ReplyDeleteWith 1:10 left, a layup from Crawford ties the game at 107.
ReplyDeleteLeonard misses at the other end, and Griffin grabs the rebound.
Griffin misses a jump shot from the top of the key, but this time Matt Barnes gets the offensive rebound -- L.A.'s first offensive rebound of the quarter. L.A. calls time.
OK, so L.A. has the ball with 30.4 seconds left. The game is tied at 107. Here we go.
ReplyDeleteWith 13.3 seconds left, Paul shoots a jump shot for the lead. He misses, but Duncan is CALLED FOR A FOUL. Paul makes both shots. L.A. leads 109-107 with 13.3 seconds to go.
ReplyDeleteDuncan did that thing that always happens to Kentucky -- he came leaping out at Paul, and hit Paul on the arm after Paul had already taken the shot. I hate that foul, but they always call it.
ReplyDeleteNow that L.A. is on defense, Jordan is back in the game.
ReplyDeleteWith 8.8 seconds left, Duncan draws a foul on Redick.
ReplyDeleteHe makes both free throws. We're all tied at 109.
Clippers call their last time out.
Duncan has 27 points and 11 rebounds. He is amazing.
ReplyDeleteWith six seconds left, Paul starts driving from the half-court stripe to the basket. With one second left, he flips up a little jump shot and IT BANKS IN! The Clippers lead 111-109 with 1 second to go.
ReplyDeletePaul has 27 points, and he has played most of the game with an injured hamstring.
ReplyDeletePaul actually shot that ball OVER DUNCAN. Just an unbelievable play.
ReplyDeleteNow in college basketball, this game would basically be over, because the Spurs would have to go the length of the floor in one second. But in the NBA, the Spurs get to in-bound the ball on the Clippers' side of the floor.
The Spurs start to in-bound, and then the horn goes off inadvertently. More tension.
ReplyDeleteOn the last play of the game, the Spurs go for a lob to Kawai Leonard. He appears to be open in the lane, but then Matt Barnes comes flying in from nowhere to KNOCK THE BALL AWAY. Time expires and THE GAME IS OVER. The Clippers WIN THE GAME, 111 to 109. They WIN THE SERIES, 4 to 3. For the first time since 2012, the Spurs will not win the Western Conference. Also for the first time since 2012, the defending NBA Champion will not be in the final.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great, great series. Congrats to all.
ReplyDelete