LOS ANGELES -- When the final buzzer sounded on the longest

Preminiem Geregistreerd op: 22 Mei 2019 Berichten: 285

LOS ANGELES -- When the final buzzer sounded on the longest two weeks of the Los Angeles Clippers careers, they felt more exhaustion than elation. Cheap Rays Jerseys . While coach Doc Rivers high-fived fans and pumped his fist at the crowd, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul quietly congratulated each other. They had just persevered through seven exhausting playoff games amid enormous distractions leading to their owners lifetime banishment from the NBA. A franchise that once redefined losing was a winner despite it all -- and theres no telling how much farther these new Clippers can go. Griffin scored 24 points, Paul had 22 points and 14 assists, and the Clippers outlasted the Golden State Warriors 126-121 in Game 7 on Saturday night to win their first-round playoff series. "Im just happy we pulled it out," Paul said. "Its going to sound crazy, but it was all about tonight. Everything else was in the past. We didnt dwell on all that stuff, and not to diminish how serious everything has been in the past week or so. It was all about basketball tonight." Jamal Crawford scored 22 points for the third-seeded Clippers, who earned the franchises third playoff series win in 38 years with the highest degree of off-court difficulty imaginable. Less than a week after dumping their team warmup jerseys at centre court in a pregame gesture of defiance against Donald Sterling, the Clippers earned a cathartic win and a second-round date with the Oklahoma City Thunder, starting Monday night. "I just thought with all this stuff, this team just needed this win," Rivers said. "This was a hard week. It feels like two months. I just needed to be able to smile and laugh and cheer, and be proud of something. And I was very proud of my players." Sterling was banned for life from the NBA on Tuesday after a recording of racist comments by the 80-year-old billionaire was made public. The Clippers endured sleepless nights, constant public scrutiny and a failed attempt to close out the series in Game 6 before they finally hung on to beat Golden State. Sterlings long-estranged wife, Rochelle, cheered and clapped from the back of the lower bowl of Staples Center, where most of the advertising signage was illuminated again after the advertiser walkout sparked by Sterlings comments. "Its been a crazy ride for us," said DeAndre Jordan, who had 15 points and 18 rebounds. "I commend our guys for sticking with it. Its been a roller coaster, but we came out and had a job to do, and we did it." Stephen Curry had 33 points and nine assists, but Golden State blew a lead with 2:10 left in Game 7. Draymond Green scored 24 points for the Warriors, who lost their first Game 7 since 1977 and failed to advance in consecutive postseasons for the first time since that same year. "We fought so hard this whole series, this whole season," Curry said. "It stings. Its disappointing for sure." An exhausting series ended with one last well-played game between the California powers who traded the lead throughout the second half. Los Angeles couldnt seize control of the first home Game 7 in franchise history until the final minutes -- and the Clippers did it in fitting Lob City style. After Griffin put the Clippers ahead for good by muscling home a layup, Jordan blocked Currys layup attempt to set up a fast break leading to J.J. Redicks lob to Griffin for a thunderous slam. Jordan added a dunk on an offensive rebound, and Griffin spun in the air and threw home a layup while getting fouled with 56 seconds left. Jordan threw down another alley-oop from Griffin with 22 seconds left, but Green hit a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 120-118. But Redick, Paul and Darren Collison hit two free throws apiece in the final 12 seconds to ice it. Redick scored 20 points for the Clippers, and Jordan put in a stellar low-post performance for the two-time Pacific Division champions. Klay Thompson managed just 15 points for the Warriors, failing to make a shot in the fourth quarter. Curry had just three field goals in the second half. "I thought it was a hard-fought series that everyone in the organization should be proud of," Jackson said. "We all went through it. The statements that were made were made to all of us. ... We did a good job handling what could go down as the toughest moment in league history, as far as what we had to go through." The game could have been the last for Golden State coach Mark Jackson, who might be on shaky ground with Warriors ownership despite presiding over the long-struggling franchises best two-year stretch in two decades. Curry said it would be "a shock" if Jackson wasnt the Warriors coach next year. "I dont get caught up in it," Jackson said. "Im totally confident, and I have total faith that Im going to be fine." NOTES: The Warriors havent won a Game 7 on the road since the Philadelphia Warriors beat the St. Louis Bombers in the 1948 BAA semifinals. ... Jordan set a franchise record for rebounds in a single playoff series, surpassing Bob McAdoos 94 rebounds for the Buffalo Braves in 1975. Jordan had already set the club record for blocked shots in a series. ... Warriors big man Jermaine ONeal played only three minutes after a collision with Los Angeles Glen Davis in Game 6 left him with a bone bruise on his right kneecap. Cheap Tampa Bay Rays Jerseys .com) - Klay Thompson is quickly proving he is worth every penny of his recently signed four-year contract extension. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic .com) - Patrick Reed poured in a 19-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Monday to defeat Jimmy Walker and win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. http://www.cheapraysjerseys.com/ . He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep.Anaheim, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jakob Silfverberg scored twice as the Anaheim Ducks closed out an eight-game homestand with a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Friday. Patrick Maroon and Hampus Lindholm each tallied a goal and an assist, Corey Perry also lit the lamp and Ilya Bryzgalov made 14 saves in his third start of the season for the Ducks, who went 6-2-0 over their residency. It feels good. It had been a while, so hopefully this gets me going, said Silfverberg. It brings confidence to the team. You need to string those types of games together. Martin Havlat scored the lone goal for the Devils, who have dropped three of their last four games. Keith Kinkaid allowed four goals on 25 shots in relief of starter Cory Schneider, who appeared to suffer an upper-body injury after stopping a Matt Beleskey shot during the first period. Schneider turned aside 14 shots over the first 20 minutes. He got hit with a shot in the first period, Devils general manager and current coach Lou Lamoriello said of Schneider. Hes feeling better right now, but he couldnt go back in. Perry, who had a hat trick against Toronto on Wednesday, started the scoring after he took a pass from Cam Fowler behind the net and fired a shot from a severe angle near the goal line that deflected off Schneiders stick and into the net 4:09 into the game. Havlat tied the game with a bad-angle shot of his own, sweepinng the puck from the goal line past Bryzgalov during a power play with 4:48 to play in the first. Cheap Wade Boggs Jersey. After firing five shots on net in an even opening stanza, the Devils mustered just one shot over the next 20 minutes and Anaheim reclaimed the lead with two quick goals. Beleskey drove through the slot and dropped a pass off to Lindholm, who beat Kinkaid blocker side with a wrist shot at 3:16. Andrew Cogliano raced around the back of the net and Silfverberg was there to tip his backhander into the net for a 3-1 game 5:08 into the frame. Ryan Getzlaf sent a pass through the neutral zone to Maroon, who broke in on net and sent a wrister over the glove of Kinkaid and into the top right corner of the net for a 4-1 lead with 3:33 to play. Silfverberg unleashed a rising shot on net for a power-play goal to account for the final score with 1:29 remaining. Game Notes Bryzgalov won his first game since a 4-2 win with Minnesota over Chicago on May 9 during the playoffs ... Ducks forward Ryan Kesler played in his 700th game ... Devils forward Michael Ryder skated in his 800th contest, while Tim Sestito appeared in his 100th ... The Ducks also held the Stars to just one shot during the second period of a 2-1 overtime win on Oct. 31 ... Anaheim improved to 21-0-5 when scoring first ... The two teams will meet again on March 29 at Prudential Center. 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