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Clippers Stunned By Spurs, Face Elimination in San Antonio

By Gabriel Gonzalez

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If not for the slightest of oversights, the Clippers might well be answering interviews about what it’s like to have the defending champions on the brink of elimination. Instead, they are in a must-win showdown in Texas with their entire season ready to collapse in on itself.

DeAndre Jordan had an amazing night for his team.  He was the second-leading scorer with 21 points and 14 rebounds on a night that needed him.  That said, it is clear that Greg Popovich has analyzed the Clippers’ Big 3 and is exploiting their weakest link.  Jordan was 7-of-16 on free-throw attempts where once again he was unable to come through .  The moment that sealed the Clippers fate came late in the fourth quarter.

With 4.9 seconds left, Blake Griffin went for a layup over Tim Duncan that would’ve given them a one point lead.  As it rolled around the cylinder, an undoubtedly tense Jordan tipped in the ball and was called for basket interference.

After a lengthy review in front of a tense Staples Center, the ruling was announced and possession went to San Antonio.

Upon resuming play, Spurs sharpshooter Danny Green was fouled and sent to the line where he made the first free throw.  On the second shot Green missed and in the ensuing scramble Kawhi Leonard came up with the rebound.

The Clippers quickly fouled Leonard but the defensive player of the year calmly sank both shots to bring the score to 111-107.  With zero timeouts at their disposal, Los Angeles was left to throw a half-court shot that was not even close.

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Tim Duncan’s 21 points led the way for the Spurs, however it was their amazing bench performance that kept them competitive against a game Clippers squad on their home court.

Manu Ginobli, Boris Diaw, and Patty Mills all reached double figures.

The team was also bolstered with 13 points from Tony Parker who had a vastly improved performance from Game 4.

The Clippers offense was led once again by Blake Griffin, who had a double-double with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Also, Chris Paul recorded 19 points and 10 assists for the game while J.J. Redick was contained at 13 points on a night that saw him foul out of the game.

The starters once again carried the weight of the responsibility as all of the Clippers bench players were kept under 10 points.

After the game, coach Doc Rivers made comments that critiqued the officiating which led to a $25,000 dollar fine by the NBA.  Among Rivers statements were the following, per ESPN.com:

"“I don’t complain much.  I thought we got some really tough calls tonight, some brutal calls. The travel on Blake [Griffin], the goal-tend on Matt [Barnes], which wasn’t a goal-tend; you think about the playoffs and they’re single-possession games. Those possessions, those were crucial. J.J. [Redick]’s foul that got him out, J.J. didn’t touch anyone. It’s not why we lost, but those were big plays for us.”"

The Clippers were called for 27 fouls compared to the Spurs 32 — taking into account the Spurs strategy of intentionally fouling DeAndre Jordan in order to send him to the free-throw line.

The series now returns to San Antonio where the Clippers will have to win in order to force a Game 7 and keep their season alive.

Game 5 has left many questions that will likely all be answered on Thursday.

DeAndre Jordan’s mistake should not take away from the astounding season he has had.  However with his impending free-agency, his play in the post-season will likely put a question mark on his worth this summer.

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If he is seen as a max-contract player, then it will be up to the Clippers brass to decide if he is worth the space on the books next to Griffin and Paul.

His price tag may likely be decided in Game 6 where his performance will be among the most evaluated.

The Clippers as a whole have their reputations on the line with their backs against the wall.  They have once again had an amazing season, and once again they are on the verge of a major letdown in the playoffs.

The Spurs are an elite squad, but if the Clippers are to prove they are good enough to be in the Finals and win the championship then they need to defeat the best teams in the West.  That means defeating the Spurs whether it is in the first round or the Conference final.

The road to the championship requires facing a murderer’s row for any team coming out of the West; the winner of this series will have to face the second-seeded Houston Rockets before possibly facing the league best Golden State Warriors.

Bottom Line: The Clippers have their entire year on the line

The Clippers get to control their destiny, and have one more night to prove that they’re everything they have boasted for themselves all season.

Game 6 of the Clippers-Spurs series will take place on Thursday at the AT&T Center from San Antonio Texas, live on TNT at 7:30 pt.

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