Clippers take Game 7 111-109 from Spurs behind Chris Paul's career game

In the most significant game in franchise history and in arguably the best first round series the NBA has ever witnessed a hobble Chris Paul managed to will the Clippers to 111-109 victory with a Point God like performance.

Chris Paul has struggled against the Spurs his whole career, the most significant example being 2008 when the New Orleans Hornets were beaten by the Spurs in game 7 of the WC semi finals. It was at that moment that the CP3 playoff failure narrative began to develop  and get louder and louder. Finally, Chris Paul came through with maybe the best performance of his career. Regardless of him practically playing on one leg due to the hamstring injury he sustained early in the game CP put the team on his back knocking down important shot after shot in the 4th Quarter all culminating in a game winning, one legged fadaway bank shot over Danny Green and Tim Duncan to give the Clips a lead. It left the Clippers up 2 with 1 second left on the clock. And it was enough.

For the first 3 quarter's of this game everything seemed to be falling into place for both teams. For SAS Tony Parker looked his usual self, slicing up the Clippers pick n roll defense for 20 points while Danny Green was drilling long ball after long ball. For the Clips, Jamal looked like the sixth man we all know and love as he provided the Clips with much needed offense and shot making en-route to 16 points, Matt Barnes meanwhile had the game of his career with 17 valuable points and great defense on Kawhi Leonard to go along with it. Both teams traded blow after blow and it seemed pretty evident that this game may come down to the last play. The last shot. Also, Blake Griffin, how could we forget Blake Griffin who continued his career best basketball by finishing with another triple double of 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. When it all boiled down to it, ultimately the Clips won because Blake and CP outplayed Duncan and Leonard.

It wasn't just the game winner for CP that added to his legacy, he was seemingly in point God mode way before. After the the refs awarded Manu Ginobli 3 shots after being fouled on a half court buzzer beater attempt CP got angry with the fact that Manu received a call that Chris could never get. In response, after Manu nailed his free throws Chris ran down the other end of the court to put in a buzzer beating 3pt shot from almost the halfway line. Today nobody was stopping Chris Paul, he was a man on fire.

 You know the rest. Paul drove the ball and hit a ridiculous circus shot off of literally one leg in order to bank in the winning shot and send the Clippers into a second round matchup with the Rockets. A few notes on the final seconds: The Staples Center staff messed up the clock on the Spurs final play, which infuriated Pop deservingly so, as the Spurs play was exposed before ultimately failing to convert an alley-oop to Leonard. However, I was most interested in why Kawhi wasn't on Chris Paul for the final two possessions. CP3 was obviously limping and unable to accelerate or move normally, and you have the best perimeter defender in the league, and you opt to put Danny Green on Paul during the final two possessions instead? Interesting coaching choices by Pop.

For the Clippers it was the perfect ending, the one they deserved but yet the journey continues and for Chris Paul, he continues to be a man on the mission. Both teams played extremely well and both deserved to win if it was possible. If that was the last time we ever see the original Big 3 together, or Tim Duncan play basketball they deserve an ovation. Hats off to the Spurs for an amazing series in which only the thinnest of margins, one shot by a Point God, ultimately separated the two teams. Now on to Houston as the Clippers look to quickly recover and gear up for the second round.