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LAst Night's Action: Clippers and Lakers Choke
Photo by Paul!!! via Flickr
San Antonio Spurs defeat LA Clippers 96-86. You remember how the Clippers overcame a 27-point deficit in the first game of the playoffs on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies to eke out a one-point victory? Well the Clippers sort of know how the Grizz felt now.
While the Clippers decided to give the comeback a more Hollywood feel waiting until the last possible moment, the Spurs wasted no time after getting down by 24 points to the Clippers. Trailing 40-16 early in the second quarter, the Spurs outscored the Clippers 41-17 to tie the game at 57 apiece by the midway point of the third quarter.
By the time the Clippers finally broke the Spurs' 24-0 run, the Clippers were the one trailing by 12. The Spurs smothered Chris Paul who wound up with 12 points and 11 assists which brings up a very stark reality for the Clippers.
Sure Blake Griffin had 28 points and 16 rebounds. Sure Mo Williams chipped in with 19 points off the bench. But the Clippers lacked anyone who could help out in the half-court offense. With Paul taken out of the equation, the Clippers really have no one.
It also helped that to stave off any Clippers resurgence in the fourth quarter, the Spurs resorted to Hack-A-Reggie-Evans. It worked with Evans making only three of the ten free throws he attempted.
Whatever the Spurs did, it worked. The Clippers were held to only eight points in that fateful third. The Clippers became the first team in a single postseason to overcome a 27-point deficit and choke a 24-point lead.
And with the way things are going, they won't have anything to choke away after Sunday night.
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Oklahoma City Thunder defeat LA Lakers 103-100. It played out similarly to Game 2 in Oklahoma City. The Lakers had a six-point lead with 4:29 remaining. And as the Dodger players were streaming into the clubhouse after their victory, they got to witness yet another choke job.
Without naming names or using quotes, there was a lot of shock, jeers and yelling going on in there as Kevin Durant's three-pointer with 13.7 second remaining essentially iced the game forcing Clayton Kershaw to pause his postgame comments.
Kobe Bryant had 38 points, but Russell Westbrook had 37 points for the Thunder while Durant had 31 to go with 13 rebounds.
San Diego Padres defeat LA Angels 3-2.
LA Dodgers defeat St. Louis Cardinals 6-0.
Chivas USA defeat LA Galaxy 1-0.
TONIGHT'S ACTION
Phoenix Coyotes at LA Kings. Noon NBC, AM 1150 KTLK, AM 570 KLAC.
San Antonio Spurs at LA Clippers. 7:30 p.m. TNT, AM 980 KFWB.
LA Angels at San Diego Padres. 1:05 p.m. FSWest, AM 830 KLAA.
St. Louis Cardinals at LA Dodgers. 5:05 p.m. ESPN, AM 570 KLAC.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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