Classic first round
Was there any doubt that the Clippers- Spurs series would be decided on the final play? Considering how accomplished the protagonists were through the regular season, it was only fitting that the rivalry went the distance, and how. There were 31 lead changes in Game Seven yesterday, with established stars and vital cogs trading daggers until there was simply no time left on the clock. No one deserved to lose, and, yet, after All- Star Chris Paul sank an incredible fadeaway off one leg and into the sideline (and past the defense of Danny Green and over the outstretched arms of Tim Duncan, no less), who was to challenge the outcome?
Significantly, Paul appeared to have been decommissioned after he hurt his left hamstring due to incidental contact in the first quarter. Owing to what he described as the best training staff in the National Basketball Association, however, he managed to return and, more importantly, stay sharp for the duration of the match; he scored 18 points in the second half, four crucial treys and the game winner included. Without him, the example he set with his grit, and the will he displayed in refusing to give in, the Clippers wouldn’t have won — not against the equally determined Spurs, defending titleholders for a reason.
Indeed, Game Seven was bittersweet, set up by outdated regulations that granted division champions higher seedings at the expense of teams with superior records. It featured sides good enough to go all the way, and yet destined to battle for survival in the first round. On the other hand, no other circumstance would have required them to show nothing but their best in every step of the way. If the last three outings in the series were instant classics, it was because they respected each other to the point of leaving nothing in the tank.
Moving forward, both the Spurs and the Clippers will have much to think about. One will use the extended offseason to ponder on a future that may well see erstwhile staples and surefire Hall of Famers by the wayside. The other will soldier on, perhaps without the hero that kept the dream alive, most certainly armed with newfound confidence otherwise reserved for longtime achievers.
Only time will tell if yesterday marked a changing of the guard. If so, then the circumstances couldn’t have been better. Forget that it was just the end of an opening round. Rather, remember
that it featured the cream of the crop at their finest.
Indeed, Game Seven was bittersweet, set up by outdated regulations that granted division champions higher seedings at the expense of teams with superior records.