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San Antonio Spurs defeat LA Clippers 102-99. And so the charade that is the Clippers' season comes to a screeching end. Despite trying to make a game of it, the Spurs calmly took control of the final minutes of the game sweeping the Clippers out of the STAPLES Center.
Yet the Clippers had the game in their hands in the final seconds. Scratch that. Chris Paul had the game in his hands in the finals seconds. With 23.1 seconds left to go trailing 100-99, Chris Paul dribbled into the paint and looked to pass. Too bad the pass went into Manu Ginobli's hands.
Daniel Green missed the second free throw giving the Clippers a do-over this time down 101-99 with 10.8 seconds. Chris Paul dribbled into the paint, tried to create contact, threw up a prayer of a shot, then nothing. The ball fell into Tim Duncan's hands, and the game was over.
So it didn't matter Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists. It didn't matter Blake Griffin had 21 points.
The only question that remains is what would have happened if Chauncey Billups was healthy.
Phoenix Coyotes defeat LA Kings 2-0. Two Shane Doan goals sunk the Kings at home in Game 4 sending the series back to Phoenix on Tuesday.
San Diego Padres defeat LA Angels 3-2 (13). With Clayton Richards on first in the 13th inning, Will Venable lined a single to left field. Howie Kendrick, who moved to left field in the 11th inning after Ryan Langerhans crashed into the wall shoulder first, booted the play. Richards ended up scoring on the error, the walk-off error as it were. Albert Pujols went 0-for-4 with two walks lowering his batting average to .211.
LA Dodgers defeat St. Louis Cardinals 6-5. The Dodgers got a three-run pinch-hit homer from Scott Van Slyke to pull out the victory. It was only Van Slyke's first career homer. No biggie, right?
TONIGHT'S ACTION
LA Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder. 6:30 p.m. TNT, AM 710 KSPN.
LA Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks. 6:40 p.m. FS Prime Ticket, AM 570 KLAC.
LA Angels at Oakland Athletics. 7:05 p.m. FSWest, AM 830 KLAA.
