San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Game 7 Results
As the rest of the world was focusing on Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, you might have missed one of the best game 7s in recent memory.
The defending NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs were dethroned in the first round of the NBA Playoffs last evening in an entertaining and fast-paced game that went down to the final play of the game. We will get to that later.
The game was filled with drama and intrigue as the Los Angeles Clippers’ star point guard Chris Paul left in early in the game with a hamstring injury that deflated the energy in the building. Paul ended up returning, equipped with a limp, and had a defining game in his illustrious career.
Chris Paul scored 27 points shooting 9-13 from the field including the eventual game winning shot which he awkwardly shot over the outstretched arm of Tim Duncan.
Blake Griffin had a strong game for the Clippers as he notched a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and assists. Matt Barnes, Jamal Crawford, and J.J. Redick also had strong games for the Clippers as each of them scored in double figures.
The back and forth game consisted of 16 ties and 31 lead changes including 3 ties in the final 2 1/2 minutes.
On the last play of the game, Gregg Popovich was fuming after the score keeper made a mistake with the clock which essentially let the Clippers know what play the Spurs were going to run to try and win the game.
Where does this leave the defending champions now? Are they finally all done? Will Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili finally call it quits and retire, or play on different teams next season? The Spurs didn’t expect to end their season this early and it is probably still too early to answer, but as all basketball fans have learned in the past, you can never count the San Antonio Spurs out.
What about the Los Angeles Clippers? What is next for them? The Los Angeles Clippers will be the underdog going into their next series with the Houston Rockets. The teams split the season series 2-2 and the teams will provide some intriguing match-ups including two of the most athletic centers in the game, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan going up against each other to see who can grab the most boards and throw down the most dunks.
After such an exhausting and classic series that appeared as though it was for the championship, you might have had to remind yourself that this was only a first-round series and the Clippers have a long road ahead if they hope to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.
Contributing writer Jasen Sousa for Premier Hoops is the author of a number of poetry and fiction books for young people. Jasen has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and is a life-long participant and fan of the game of basketball.