Rowan Kavner
LOS ANGELES – Head coach Doc Rivers described it best when he said it’s only right that this series, played masterfully by two Western Conference juggernauts, is going seven games.
It’s been a first round matchup for the ages, and it’s the only West playoff series to go more than five games. The Clippers staved off elimination in San Antonio and now have the chance to knock the Spurs out of the playoffs while saving themselves Saturday night in Game 7, following two straight games decided by six points or fewer.
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“This team is mentally tough, and we have got to come and do it again,” Rivers said. “This series in some ways should go seven. It’s almost like it’s right. That is what should happen in this series, and it is.”
Jamal Crawford said he’s never been a part of a series quite like this before, despite it being only the first round and Crawford having four previous seasons of playoff experience.
“It’s a shame that one of these two great teams’ seasons will end on Saturday, either way,” Crawford said. “It’s been an unbelievable series, one of the best first round series I can remember.”
Rivers said his team’s confidence may come from being together for some time now, or maybe from going through the playoffs last year. But for whatever reason, they’ve showed the resolve to get over tough losses and bounce back.
Now the challenge is coming back down to Earth and not getting too elated after stealing Game 6 in San Antonio, as they return home to STAPLES Center for the deciding game.
“Like we said after Game 5, this series is not over, and we haven’t done anything just by winning this game,” Blake Griffin said after Thursday’s win. “We have one more game to play, and we’re happy we’re going home to play.”
LAST TIME OUT
Clippers 102, Spurs 96 – The Clippers led the whole fourth quarter in San Antonio to force a Game 7. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin combined for 33 points, 11 assists and no turnovers in the second half, as the duo dominated after halftime. For the game, they had 21 turnovers and one assist. Marco Belinelli and Boris Diaw went off for the Spurs, but the Clippers held every San Antonio starter to 12 points or fewer.
NOTEWORTHY MATCHUP
Blake Griffin vs. Spurs’ Interior Defense – The Spurs still don’t have much of an answer for Griffin, who’s averaged 24.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, seven assists and 1.7 blocks and steals per game this series. San Antonio’s only hope in limiting him is that his jumper is off or he’s committing turnovers. In the three games Griffin has one or no turnovers, the Clippers have won. In the three games he’s had three or more turnovers, they’ve lost. Even when he’s turned the ball over, he’s still dominated the stat sheet, with a double-double in every game and a triple-double in one game.
TWO THINGS TO WATCH
3-Pointers – It’s tough to hit eight fewer 3-pointers than an opponent and win a game, but the Clippers managed to do that Thursday in San Antonio. Marco Belinelli made three more 3-pointers than the entire Clippers team. It’s been strange to see the Clippers, who made the third-most 3-pointers in the lague during the regular season, struggle from deep. The Spurs have made it a point to run the Clippers off the 3-point line and prevent them from even taking those shots, and Doc Rivers said he’d like to get more long-range opportunities in Game 7.
Green’s Impact – The Clippers have stopped Danny Green from impacting the game offensively the last three games, leading to two, and nearly three, wins. In the Spurs’ three wins this series, Green has at least nine points. In their three losses, he has seven or fewer. As good a job as the Spurs have done stopping the Clippers’ perimeter game, the Clippers have also held Green in check from behind the arc. Green, who made a career-high 2.4 3-pointers per game during the season, is averaging nearly one 3-pointer fewer per game in the playoffs. He’s 6-for-24 from the field and 2-for-16 from behind the arc in his last three games. Yes, Marco Belinelli did a lot of damage from 3-point range in Game 6, but limiting Green from long range has been crucial.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Doc Rivers: “We played with a force, and that’s a force that you have to have. It requires you to have that if you want to win this game.”
Blake Griffin: “They’re a great team, in every sense of the word. I don’t think you can look at a team over the past 20 years or so that has been better. (Tim) Duncan is a great player and one of the best players of all time. They have been in this situation. They went into a Game 7 with Dallas last year in the first round and they ended winning the whole thing. They’ve been in this situation and they know not to panic.”
J.J. Redick: “I said the other day, I don’t believe in momentum in a series. I think you get the same amount of wins every time, same amount of tallies in the win column every time, whether you win by 30, five, an overtime win or whatever it may be.”
Jamal Crawford: “We found what was working for us, so we stayed with it. When they adjusted, we did as well. We’ve been in that situation before throughout the course of the season. We know what we’re doing and what we’re looking for.”
NOTES : Glen Davis sprained his ankle and his status for Game 7 is uncertain … Davis got 10 minutes of action in Game 6 before going down … Rivers called Boris Diaw “the silent assassin” of the series. Rivers said the Clippers have to do a better job of disrupting Diaw, who’s averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs, to win … Chris Paul has 25 assists and just one turnover his last two games … Game 6 was Griffin’s first game of the series without a turnover. Griffin also scored at least 20 points, pulled down at least 10 rebounds and dished out at least five assists for the fifth time this series …. The Clippers have a chance to win a best-of-7 series when trailing 3-2 for the first time ever …