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LAC-OKC

galaxy27galaxy27 Posts: 7,136 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Please tell me I'm not the only one who has watched the last couple of games? Truly surreal stuff. OKC with a 16-point lead with nine minutes left in Game 4, and they walked out of the Staples Center with an L. But tonight topped it, incredibly. One of the worst meltdowns I have ever seen in pro sports. Granted there was one dubious call at the end of the game that was beyond important, but it never should have come to that. LAC was up by 13 with four minutes left and gagged it. Hell, they were up by 7 with :49 left and didn't shoot another free throw the rest of the game. Think about that one for a second.

In particular, I couldn't feel worse for CP3. I love the guy (and his commercials), but his play in the last minute was one of the most grotesque displays you'll ever see. I made a bold prediction that the Clips would hoist the trophy, but I'm ready to recant. Mentally, they could not be more depleted right now. And unless you actually watched the game, you'll never be able to comprehend the magnitude of the implosion.

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    itzagoneritzagoner Posts: 8,753 ✭✭


    << <i>......you'll never be able to comprehend the magnitude of the implosion. >>



    the local paper did. L.A. Times Sports page caption read "THEY BLEW IT!"

    suppose this one will hit NBA Instant Classic Channel any moment. image
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    galaxy27galaxy27 Posts: 7,136 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It was classic play-not-to-lose, Jeff. It's one of the most aggravating things to watch in sports, and I for one will never understand it. How many times have you witnessed a football team incorporating the vaunted "prevent defense" by rushing three guys and dropping eight into coverage? Nine times out of ten, the prevent defense does one thing and one thing only -- prevent you from winning. I don't care if half of Schererville, Indiana is back there -- a professional quarterback like Drew Breeze will find someone when you allow him to eat lunch in the backfield. Next thing you know, the opposition has jammed the ball down your throat in half a minute.

    And that's essentially what the Clippers did last night. They were clearly the better team, and they were poised to go home and close out the series on Thursday night. But instead of continuing to play a brand of basketball that generated a decided advantage throughout the game, they employed the aforementioned strategy. Milk the clock. Zero ball movement. Low percentage shots. Turnovers galore. They were totally discombobulated the last four minutes of the game, all because they had lost their identity.

    I mentioned last night that they failed to shoot a single free throw with :49 left and a seven-pt lead. That is very, very difficult to pull off when the other team is in desperation mode trying to catch up. But when you eff up repeatedly yourself, the other team isn't forced to foul. To take it a step further, from the 4:00 mark (when the Clips were up 13) to the end of the game, they shot a grand total of two free throws. TWO. OKC never had to resort to fouling to get back into the game, because LAC obliterated the deficit for them.

    With all of that said, that blown call was horrific. If you haven't seen it, go check it out. The refs missed a blatant foul on Matt Barnes and smoothed it over by awarding OKC the ball. Can't wait to see how much Doc Rivers is fined for his comments, but it will be money well spent because he was 1,000% right. The Clippers killed themselves, no doubt, but the refs twisted the knife a few times with that "make-up" call.
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    itzagoneritzagoner Posts: 8,753 ✭✭
    just a little more fuel for all this drama. so they blew the game, but not the series. they still have a shot at redemption at home and then anything can happen in Game 7. seems like this stuff is meant to be. Doc will have them ready for the next one.
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    larryallen73larryallen73 Posts: 6,057 ✭✭✭
    I grew up in LA, have LA in my blood, and have a ton of peeps down there. However, enough excuses/complaining/whining on Facebook. They choked the game away. The bad call didn't help anything but they blew it. Just like OKC blew game 4. Straight up CHOKE!

    I should add I am an OKC fan (after my beloved Kings) due to Russell Westbrook. That guy is the most underrated "overrated" player ever. After his triple double in game 2 he had 3 triple doubles in 9 games this post season... but still was being called overrated or all the calls that he shoots too much. Dude is just a straight baller. I would love to have him on my team.

    Furthermore, from my UCLA fandom point of view, game 4 was awesome. Collison winning the game with Barnes and that big stiff Ryan Hollins (all UCLA "alum) celebrating with him after the game. You may recall that Collison was the starting point guard and Russell Westbrook his back up at the start of Collison's senior year. That wasn't a bad back court. Then they had Kevin Love and Mah a Moute up front. I was reminded of how good they were and that they couldn't win the national championship. Ugh!

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    itzagoneritzagoner Posts: 8,753 ✭✭
    image KD'd.
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    larryallen73larryallen73 Posts: 6,057 ✭✭✭


    << <i>image KD'd. >>



    KD is so good. It's really sick. When he is on he is simply amazing... and he's on most of the time.
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