Saying the Clippers advanced in the playoffs sounds so awkward and foreign. It's like saying Brian Scalabrine won the 2011-12 NBA MVP Award.
So it should come as no surprise that the Clippers, once the dungeon team of the NBA, failed to close out their first-round playoff series on Friday night at home against the Grizzlies. Can anyone say Clipper curse? Whatever happened to the Clippers glory days? Err wait.
Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Co. held a 3-2 lead on the Grizzlies, but blew another genuine opportunity to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2006 (that'd be just the third time in franchise history). Paul and Griffin were questionable prior to the game with minor injuries, but suited up. Now, it's back to he Grindhouse in Memphis, where the Clippers erased a 27-point deficit in Game 1. Seems so long ago.
Oh, and that other team from Los Angeles, the team with 16 banners hanging in the rafters? Well, they have a Game 7 too.
And who would have thought that the one, the only Metta World Peace would get a chance to play against the Denver Nuggets in the first round? The Lakers forward, fresh off his seven-game suspension, is expected to start in Game 7.
Only eight teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game series. And the Grizzlies and Nuggets could add to that list.
Meanwhile, the Thunder and Spurs (both having swept their first-round opponents) have had plenty of time to rest, something that NEVER happened in that grueling 66-game regular season (Thanks, David Stern).
As for that MVP award, here's a hint: He's the only three-time MVP in league history who's ringless.
Winners:
LeBron James: His season stat line of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals a game was Oscar Robertson-like. And his 53 FG% has only been matched by that guy with his tongue out, Michael Jordan. Kevin Durant was MVP of summer basketball during the lockout and he had a fine season, but to throw him in the same boat as James would be wrong.
"Third #MVP award in 4 years that's crazy!!!! Congrats LeBron James, def can't hate on that!!!! #Respect," Milwaukee Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings tweeted. Really, Brandon, four exclamation marks? Sounds like someone wants to play for the Heat next season.
Or there's this:
"A teammate of DWade & Chris Bosh just won MVP because so many so badly want to forget how clutchless he is and see him win his 1st ring," ESPN analyst Skip Bayless tweeted.
Metta World Peace: Because he's got Kobe Bryant saying this about him returning in Game 7: "I expect him to come out and play with the tenacity that he's known for. He's the one guy I can rely on, night in, night out, to compete and play hard, and play with that sense of urgency, play with no fear. I'm looking forward to having that on my side again."
The other Gasol: Bryant said his room looked like a scene from The Exorcist when fighting a stomach flu before Game 6. But his teammate, Pau Gasol, had people's heads spinning Regan-style with his 3-point how-is-he-getting-paid performance in Game 6. His little brother, Marc Gasol, on the other hand was a main catalyst in the Grizzlies' Game 6 win with 26 points and nine rebounds.
Blake Griffin: Despite a sprained left knee that's limiting his jumping ability, Griffin scored 17 points and inspired the team with this diving loose ball play that ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy called "contagious." It was almost as inspiring as this moment in sports history.
Losers:
The NBA: The Boston Celtics are sitting pretty in the second round. The Atlanta Hawks, meanwhile, are left wondering what could have been following their season-ending 83-80 loss to the C's on Thursday.
Now, they'll be wondering "what if" thanks to an admitted botched call by an official in Game 6. The NBA said a foul against Boston with 3.1 seconds left should have been called sooner, and that would have given Atlanta a free throw instead of the ball out of bounds. Oops.
It begs the question: Would the Celtics have closed out the Hawks if the call had been different?
Chris Paul: The Clippers point guard scored 11 points playing with a strained right hip flexor and a jammed right middle finger, but it wasn't enough, especially late in the game. Paul missed a crucial free throw late in Game 6 and then didn't get back after a made free throw, which led to a pair of Grizzlies free throws. Considering Magic Johnson's choice of words about Paul before the game, more was expected from the injured floor general.
Before the game on ESPN, Johnson compared Paul's impact on Los Angeles to that of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Wayne Gretzky when they arrived in the city. "Yes, there is a second superstar in the city," Johnson said, with the other being Kobe Bryant. "(Paul) reminds me of Isiah Thomas. He smiles at you, and then will rip your heart out."
Friday night there were no hearts being ripped out, except for maybe Clipper Darrell's.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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