In the aftermath of an unprecedented collapse, Clippers players and owners continuously blamed NBA officials for the loss, with Doc Rivers going as far as saying "We Got Robbed". Sure, he has a point; the ball went off Reggie Jackson's arms, which allowed OKC to retain possession of the ball with under 15 seconds left. Was there a foul on Matt Barnes on the controversial play? Perhaps. Nonetheless, Doc Rivers is right in blaming someone for the loss; he just picked the wrong people.
Rivers coached an excellent game on Tuesday night. His players came ready to play and thoroughly outplayed the Thunder for the first 45 minutes of the game. However, the team forgot about the final three minutes of the game and absolutely collapsed on both ends of the court in the waning moments of the game. He just be incensed at his players, NOT the officials. Only sore losers find excuses the way Rivers did at the end of an epic choke. C'MON DOC.
I could not help but cringe when I saw the Clippers attempt to run out the clock when there was still plenty of time left in the game. As a lifelong Warriors fan, I could not help but remember last year's Game 1 between the Warriors and Spurs, when the Warriors somehow blew a 16-point lead in the last four minutes of regulation. Granted, that game went to overtime, but both games showed that teams who play "not to lose" instead of landing the knockout punch DESERVE to relinquish their opportunity.
Winning on the road is brutally difficult, especially in the playoffs. The Clippers should have taken a page out of Washington's book yesterday (Wizards throttled the Pacers in Indiana, leading by as many as 30 in the 4th quarter). There is no such thing as mercy in the playoffs; on the road, when you are playing well, you should be playing to humiliate and embarrass the opponent, NOT trying to hold them off. The Clippers got that big lead by running out in transition, getting into their offense early, and moving the ball within the flow of the offense. That allowed them to get a high percentage of quality shots throughout the game, both inside and out.
During the final four minutes of the game, the Clippers repeatedly had Chris Paul or Jamal Crawford stand and dribble the ball for the first 12-16 seconds of the 24-second shot clock in order to "waste" time. When that happens, EVERYONE else on the floor becomes complacent and as a result, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook used that opportunity to go to the open court and get four transition baskets (and two free throws from Durant that was a result of the transition offense), which in total accounted for 11 "easy" points. It allowed Durant, who had a horrendous shooting night (went 3-for 17 from the field up till the 4-minute mark of the game), to get going and get his shooting rhythm back.
On offense, here were the Clippers possessions in the final four minutes:
- Jamal Crawford missed 28-foot jumper (shot with 2 seconds on shot clock)
- Chris Paul missed 14-foot jumper (shot with 2.3 seconds on shot clock)
- Chris Paul missed 17-foot jumper (shot with 8 seconds on shot clock)
- DeAndre Jordan offensive foul, moving screen up TOP (happened after Paul dribbled for 10 seconds)
- Jamal Crawford missed 27-foot jumper (shot with 1 second on shot clock)
- Blake Griffin splits free throws, Big Baby offensive rebound, Chris Paul makes jumper
- Jamal Crawford Missed layup (1 second left on shot clock)
- Chris Paul turnover in backcourt
- Chris Paul turnover (with team trailing)
Blake Griffin, the best advantage the Clippers have in the series, barely touched the ball in the final four minutes. Crawford and Paul dominated ball possession in the final minutes of the game, leading to multiple desperation shot attempts and no ball movement. The Clippers offense, sans Blake Griffin in the post, operates best when the ball is moving and they space the floor. When they get into their offense so late in the shot clock, they become much easier to defend because the Thunder do not have to worry about some of the corner shooters. Paul had as many assists (14) as the entire Thunder team; however, the Clippers did not have a single assist in the final four minutes of Game 5.
The Thunder arguably have the most explosive offense in the league, with two of the most dynamic scorers in the world. They can come back on anyone, especially when both Westbrook and Durant find their shooting stroke. They did not combine to average 58 points per game and lead the team to the second-most wins in the league by accident. The Clippers knew that and thought they had the game in the bag well before the final buzzer. In the playoffs, this mindset comes back to bite you because teams are fighting for their lives.
Los Angeles has all the pressure on them now as the series shifts back west. Paul has never made it past the second round in his decorated career, and he was largely responsible for the team's meltdown. If they do not respond by winning Game 6, the team will head into the offseason full of question marks and turmoil, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the ownership. The players had a chance to make a statement on the road and they blew it. They will have another chance at redemption; otherwise, a long, tumultuous offseason awaits.
Rivers coached an excellent game on Tuesday night. His players came ready to play and thoroughly outplayed the Thunder for the first 45 minutes of the game. However, the team forgot about the final three minutes of the game and absolutely collapsed on both ends of the court in the waning moments of the game. He just be incensed at his players, NOT the officials. Only sore losers find excuses the way Rivers did at the end of an epic choke. C'MON DOC.
I could not help but cringe when I saw the Clippers attempt to run out the clock when there was still plenty of time left in the game. As a lifelong Warriors fan, I could not help but remember last year's Game 1 between the Warriors and Spurs, when the Warriors somehow blew a 16-point lead in the last four minutes of regulation. Granted, that game went to overtime, but both games showed that teams who play "not to lose" instead of landing the knockout punch DESERVE to relinquish their opportunity.
Winning on the road is brutally difficult, especially in the playoffs. The Clippers should have taken a page out of Washington's book yesterday (Wizards throttled the Pacers in Indiana, leading by as many as 30 in the 4th quarter). There is no such thing as mercy in the playoffs; on the road, when you are playing well, you should be playing to humiliate and embarrass the opponent, NOT trying to hold them off. The Clippers got that big lead by running out in transition, getting into their offense early, and moving the ball within the flow of the offense. That allowed them to get a high percentage of quality shots throughout the game, both inside and out.
During the final four minutes of the game, the Clippers repeatedly had Chris Paul or Jamal Crawford stand and dribble the ball for the first 12-16 seconds of the 24-second shot clock in order to "waste" time. When that happens, EVERYONE else on the floor becomes complacent and as a result, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook used that opportunity to go to the open court and get four transition baskets (and two free throws from Durant that was a result of the transition offense), which in total accounted for 11 "easy" points. It allowed Durant, who had a horrendous shooting night (went 3-for 17 from the field up till the 4-minute mark of the game), to get going and get his shooting rhythm back.
On offense, here were the Clippers possessions in the final four minutes:
- Jamal Crawford missed 28-foot jumper (shot with 2 seconds on shot clock)
- Chris Paul missed 14-foot jumper (shot with 2.3 seconds on shot clock)
- Chris Paul missed 17-foot jumper (shot with 8 seconds on shot clock)
- DeAndre Jordan offensive foul, moving screen up TOP (happened after Paul dribbled for 10 seconds)
- Jamal Crawford missed 27-foot jumper (shot with 1 second on shot clock)
- Blake Griffin splits free throws, Big Baby offensive rebound, Chris Paul makes jumper
- Jamal Crawford Missed layup (1 second left on shot clock)
- Chris Paul turnover in backcourt
- Chris Paul turnover (with team trailing)
Blake Griffin, the best advantage the Clippers have in the series, barely touched the ball in the final four minutes. Crawford and Paul dominated ball possession in the final minutes of the game, leading to multiple desperation shot attempts and no ball movement. The Clippers offense, sans Blake Griffin in the post, operates best when the ball is moving and they space the floor. When they get into their offense so late in the shot clock, they become much easier to defend because the Thunder do not have to worry about some of the corner shooters. Paul had as many assists (14) as the entire Thunder team; however, the Clippers did not have a single assist in the final four minutes of Game 5.
The Thunder arguably have the most explosive offense in the league, with two of the most dynamic scorers in the world. They can come back on anyone, especially when both Westbrook and Durant find their shooting stroke. They did not combine to average 58 points per game and lead the team to the second-most wins in the league by accident. The Clippers knew that and thought they had the game in the bag well before the final buzzer. In the playoffs, this mindset comes back to bite you because teams are fighting for their lives.
Los Angeles has all the pressure on them now as the series shifts back west. Paul has never made it past the second round in his decorated career, and he was largely responsible for the team's meltdown. If they do not respond by winning Game 6, the team will head into the offseason full of question marks and turmoil, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the ownership. The players had a chance to make a statement on the road and they blew it. They will have another chance at redemption; otherwise, a long, tumultuous offseason awaits.
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