Paul’s shot ends Spurs’ title defense
LOS ANGELES — It figured that the most entertaining first-round series in the NBA playoffs would come down to a play involving Chris Paul and Tim Duncan.
Paul, who willed himself back from a firstquarter hamstring injury, banked in a shot over Duncan with a second left to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 111-109 victory in Game 7 on Saturday night, eliminating the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.
After Duncan made two free throws to tie it with 8.8 seconds left, Paul drove the right side. He was covered by Danny Green before Duncan came to help. Paul put up a one-handed shot over the Spurs’ 39-year-old forward that went in as Paul was falling away.
Paul said head coach Doc Rivers talked to him and Blake Griffin at the end of the morning walkthrough to discuss lastshot scenarios.
“We’ve been in that situation a lot of times already this year, and most of the time, I hadn’t made it,” Paul said. “We talked about it, and finally it worked when we needed it.”
The Clippers face the Rockets in theWest semifinals starting Monday night in Houston.
Paul scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half. Duncan had 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Paul missed the final two minutes of the first quarter and the first 5½ minutes of the second. He appeared to get hurt as he dribbled up court before making a three-pointer.
“I thought about the team and all the things we’d been through,” Paul said. “I know that if it was any other guy on our team in a situation like this, they wouldn’t lay down, so I just tried to find a way.”
Griffin had 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for Los Angeles for his second triple-double of the series. Antetokounmpo suspended: Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was suspended one game without pay by the NBA for running over Chicago forward Mike Dunleavy. Antetokounmpo was called for a flagrant foul 2 and ejected for the play in the Bucks’ season-ending 120-66 playoff loss to the Bulls on Thursday. Antetokounmpo will sit out the first game next season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.