NBA Playoffs: 2nd Round

[Mori Chu]

I'm just rooting against the Clips because they are whining jerks. But the Rockets are also, to a lesser degree, whining jerks. I just really want to see the Warriors pummel whomever advances.

[Mori Chu]

Some big runs in this one so far. In the 2nd quarter, it was 48-30 Rockets. Now it's 48-40.

[TOO]

Dubs are just as whiney as the rest and Bogut/Green act like tough guys. T'hell with every team left but the Hawks.

[carey]

Clippers just look cooked. Down 20 in the 4th of a game 7? This is what happens when you don't have a bench and your guys are gassed at the end of a series.

[Cap]

Oh goodie, a free throw contest between DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard.

[ShelC]

Still don't regard the Rox as elite. Maybe that's just me. Glad the clippers are out tho, they're really unlikable and I just don't want to see CP3 win. Question...is Blake Griffin a go-to franchise player? CP3 is obviously a top player and a guy you need if you want to win, but if he's your go-to guy and the one you're relying on for baskets, you're not going very far. They need Blake to be that low post scorer that you go-to for a basket, but he doesn't seem to be that player.

Warriors is 6, maybe 5.

[The Bobster]

Huge disappointment for the Clippers.

Cant say I was rooting for either team in this series though.

[Mori Chu]

That Clipper franchise really is cursed. I love it. Their fans probably expected this from the moment they started to let Game 5 slip away. They find some way to catastrophically lose every time.

[Cap]

Question...is Blake Griffin a go-to franchise player?

FWIW, he passed up an open 18-footer in the Clippers' last meaningful possession. I was wondering why he didn't shoot. Reddick ended up having to force a three under pressure, it missed, and Ariza hit a three on the ensuing Rox possession to clinch it.

[Superbone]

Clippers just look cooked. Down 20 in the 4th of a game 7? This is what happens when you don't have a bench and your guys are gassed at the end of a series.

...and you don't close out an 18 point lead going into the 4th of game 6 at home.

[Superbone]

Question...is Blake Griffin a go-to franchise player?

FWIW, he passed up an open 18-footer in the Clippers' last meaningful possession. I was wondering why he didn't shoot. Reddick ended up having to force a three under pressure, it missed, and Ariza hit a three on the ensuing Rox possession to clinch it.

The whole team opened up the game tight. Nobody wanted to shoot. It looked bad for them from the beginning of the game.

[carey]

Question...is Blake Griffin a go-to franchise player?

FWIW, he passed up an open 18-footer in the Clippers' last meaningful possession. I was wondering why he didn't shoot. Reddick ended up having to force a three under pressure, it missed, and Ariza hit a three on the ensuing Rox possession to clinch it.

The whole team opened up the game tight. Nobody wanted to shoot. It looked bad for them from the beginning of the game.

Puckered.

[Cap]

Question...is Blake Griffin a go-to franchise player?

FWIW, he passed up an open 18-footer in the Clippers' last meaningful possession. I was wondering why he didn't shoot. Reddick ended up having to force a three under pressure, it missed, and Ariza hit a three on the ensuing Rox possession to clinch it.

The whole team opened up the game tight. Nobody wanted to shoot. It looked bad for them from the beginning of the game.

Yeah. That last one stood out because it was a biggie. The Clippers desperately needed a score on that possession, the shot clock was getting low, and Griffin had a huge opportunity. If he takes and makes that shot it's a six-point game with over a minute to play. But instead he passes it, and the Clippers never have a chance after that decision. Being a "go-to player" means making the right decision when it counts the most.

[Superbone]

You are right. Griffin froze in the big moment and the big game for that matter. I thought he had turned the corner but he still has another one to go.

[Indy]

You are right. Griffin froze in the big moment and the big game for that matter. I thought he had turned the corner but he still has another one to go.

I think he is like Amare in his prime (albeit better). He does some amazing things, and has games or even weeks when you say, man if this keeps up he could be our Savior. But in the end he will never get there. That next corner is too far away.

[SDC]

clippers owner steve bawlmore (ht:robertliefeld)

[Cap]

clippers owner steve bawlmore (ht:robertliefeld)

LOL!

[TOO]

Blake griffin is the dunk version of Kevin Love. Outstanding auxiliary piece, but he'll always be a second fiddle at best. He puts up great numbers but he's not a dominant player.

[Mori Chu]

I don't really think it's fair to distill this series down to Blake choking, or CP3 choking, etc. The problem in my mind was that the Clips don't have a deep enough team, so they had to run their starters into the ground. They had two back-to-back seven-game series and without enough depth, especially on the wing, they were worn out. Blake had amazing numbers in this series and the last; he was arguably the best player in the NBA so far during these playoffs. It doesn't make any sense to me to pin this all on him because of a single possession or game.

EDIT: Blake has averaged 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in 14 playoff games this year.

[OE32]

Does Deandre leave this off-season? If so, how does LAC recover? Go after Chandler or Hibbert, perhaps?