SAN ANTONIO – Back and forth, shot for shot they went – again.
Of course this was going to take a Game 7 to settle it. It's too good.
The Spurs and Clippers will decide their epic first-round series Saturday at Staples Center after the Clippers held off San Antonio for a 102-96 victory in Game 6 on Thursday night.
Chris Paul survived an awful start to hit a driving one-hander with 21.3 seconds left, only to see Marco Belinelli (23 points, 7-for-11 from 3-point range) hit another 3 to cut it to 98-96 with 14.9 seconds left. But Jamal Crawford hit two free throws, weirdness ensued (another offensive basket interference call and a clear-path foul in the final seconds), and the series shifts back to LA for a deciding Game 7.
Of course, it does.
Blake Griffin had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, Paul had 19 points and 15 assists (but shot only 7-for-21 from the field and 1-for-7 from three). Tim Duncan had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Boris Diaw had 17 off the bench.
Here's what we learned from Game 6 of Clippers-Spurs:
1. Home-court advantage doesn't exist
Not in this series, anyway. The road team has won four of the six games, including the last three. Does this mean the Clippers are at a disadvantage heading into the deciding game at Staples Center on Saturday? No, it doesn't mean that – because there are no rules in this series. Other than the two teams being razor-close, and every game except Game 3 coming down to the final possessions, nothing makes sense. Well, this does: It's only appropriate that these teams would need a seventh game to decide which one moves on and which one goes home.
2. Timothy Theodore Duncan is still cooking
At age 39, after playing 38 minutes in Game 5, the great Duncan had his fifth 10-rebound game of the series – three of them 20-point, 10-rebound games. His defense on Blake Griffin down the stretch in Game 5 was one of the understated reasons the Spurs won, and his aggressive switching on screens in Game 6 kept Chris Paul outside the paint most of the night. Asked before the game if he's ever thought about how things might've been different had Duncan decided to play for him in Orlando in 2000, Doc Rivers said, “It was probably the best thing for Tim and me that he didn't come. I was so young. I don't even know if I was ready for that. So that was the basketball gods saying, ‘Wait. You're not ready yet.'”
3. The Clippers need a 3-point shooter
Correction. The Clippers have plenty of 3-point shooters. They need a 3-point maker. After finishing Game 5 0-for-12 from 3-point range, they started Game 6 with eight straight misses. Matt Barnes finally ended the 0-for-20 drought with 1:40 left in the second quarter. Rivers has been defending his lackluster bench all series, but the reality is, his decision to give Spencer Hawes the full mid-level, which put the team under a hard-cap restriction, inhibited their ability to add a shooter at the trade deadline or in the buyout market.
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1 – Sun April 19
L.A. Clippers 107, San Antonio 92
Game 2 - Wed April 22
San Antonio 111, L.A. Clippers 107 (OT)
Game 3 – Fri April 24
San Antonio 100, Los Angeles Clippers 73
Game 4 – Sun April 26
Los Angeles Clippers 114, San Antonio 105
Game 5 - Tue April 28
San Antonio 111, Los Angeles Clippers 107
Game 6 - Thu April 30
Los Angeles Clippers 102, San Antonio 96 - Series tied 3-3
Game 7 - Sat May 2
San Antonio at L.A. Clippers, 8 p.m. (TNT)
