|
LOS ANGELES -- Doc Rivers couldnt begin the Los Angeles Clippers only day of preparation for Game 7 in the film room or on the practice court. The coach was downtown at the Clippers team offices Friday, meeting with an angry roomful of ticket-sellers and marketers still outraged by owner Donald Sterlings racist comments. "Ill say this much: Our players thought about not working. So did our employees, and they still felt that way," Rivers said. "They needed somebody to ask them to continue to work and support us. Were still trying to put this thing together." For both the Clippers and the Golden State Warriors, basketball has been secondary for much of this extraordinary series. But after the most tumultuous week in Clippers history, the first round is finally down to its grand finale. The Clippers will host a seventh game for the first time in franchise history on Saturday night, hoping to draw energy from their Staples Center crowd for a cathartic victory. The winner gets a second-round date with Oklahoma City or Memphis. "Weve got to protect home court," Clippers centre DeAndre Jordan said Friday. "Our season is tomorrow." The Warriors have been just one obstacle faced by the Clippers, who endured sleepless nights and immense scrutiny while their owner was exposed and subsequently banned for life from the NBA between playoff games. Los Angeles has lost two of three games since the Sterling saga began, playing lifelessly in Game 4 before struggling along with the Warriors in Game 6 on Thursday night. When the Clippers went back to work Friday, Sterling-related memorabilia had been removed from the trophy case in the hallway at their palatial $60 million training complex built by Sterling six years ago. Even the "Sterling Drive" sign outside the Playa Vista facility had been taken down. The Clippers missed their chance to wrap the series in Oakland, but the Pacific Division champions played all year for the chance to finish a series on their home court. "Its going to be tough, and youre going to face adversity, and we clearly have faced adversity in this round," said Blake Griffin, who managed just 17 points on 8-for-24 shooting in Game 6. "I think its just important that we all stayed the course and had positive thoughts about it. It is a Game 7, but its still a playoff game. It doesnt change a whole lot." Neither team plans to spend much time working on tactics or adjustments after six games of seeing everything their opponent has to offer. Both teams arent saying much about various nagging injuries, from Chris Pauls strained left hamstring for the Clippers to Jermaine ONeals sprained right knee for Golden State. Instead, two relatively inexperienced playoff teams are eager to show off everything theyve learned about perseverance and toughness over the past two weeks, culminating in a rare winner-take-all finish to their series. "Im not sure that both teams love each other, but Im pretty positive that both teams have tremendous respect for each other," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. The Clippers core played a Game 7 two years ago, beating Memphis on the road for just their second playoff series victory since Sterling bought the team in 1981. Jordan and Griffin said there was little to draw from that victory, with Jordan barely remembering it. The Warriors havent played a Game 7 since 1977, no surprise for a franchise with just three playoff berths in the last 20 years. When asked if an injury could keep him out of Game 7, Paul scoffed. "Ill be there," Paul said. "Seven-thirty, that balls throwed up, Ill be there. Cant wait." Even with the Clippers on the front page during this series, Golden State has plenty of its own internal drama. Jackson could be coaching his final game for the Warriors after the club ownerships reluctance to publicly back his return despite the most successful two-year stretch in two decades. "I think weve had more controversy than them throughout this whole season that gets overlooked, kind of thrown under the rug a little bit," Golden States Andre Iguodala said. "Weve had some battles this year weve had to deal with, but its kept us together and made us stronger." .com) - They didnt meet in the regular season, so Sam Houston State might be saying it won the de facto title game between the two Southland Conference co-champions Saturday. . "Ive still got it," Seattles ace said with a sly grin. Riding that fastball carrying a little more zip, Hernandez took a shutout bid into the ninth inning as the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 on Wednesday night. On the verge of a brilliant shutout and first complete game since Aug. . New York then missed its next six shots and scored only two points the rest of the night. The Los Angeles Clippers defence and the Knicks general ineptitude both played a role in the unsurprising finish to a meeting of two teams headed in opposite directions. . Then youve got to worry about the other up and coming teams in the two weaker divisions in the "Junior Circuit". .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final.San Antonio, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Marco Belinelli led seven Spurs in double figures with 20 points as San Antonio cruised past the Minnesota Timberwolves, 123-101, on Saturday. The Spurs shot a scorching 57.3 percent from the field even though Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker took the night off. Tim Duncan recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard and Cory Joseph netted 18 points apiece and Boris Diaw scored 17 points off the bench in San Antonios 10th win in its last 11 games. Zach LaVine led Minnesota with 22 points and a career-high 10 assists, while Shabazz Muhammad chipped in 20 points in the clubs fifth straight setback. Belinelli scored 11 points in the first quarter as the Spurs jumped out to a 31-23 lead that ballooned to a healthy 20 points late in the hallf.dddddddddddd Danny Green netted seven points during a 9-0 run that he capped with a dunk to give San Antonio a 64-44 cushion, and the Spurs ended the half with a season- best 68 points. Minnesota had a respectable 51 points at the break and used a 10-0 spurt early in the third quarter to pull within 73-61. Joseph stopped the rally with a three-point play and in turn ignited a 16-2 string the other way that gave the Spurs some more breathing room. It was a 96-76 game heading to the fourth. Game Notes The Spurs have won 19 of the last 20 home matchups against Minnesota ... Thaddeus Young and Anthony Bennett each scored 14 points for the Timberwolves ... Green (11 points) and Matt Bonner (10) rounded out the Spurs double-digit scorers. ' ' '
|
