Good morning. Spurs-Clippers will be the death of us.

Good morning. Is it morning already? Good morning. Let’s basketball.

10 YEARS TO MIDNIGHT: Jon Bois’ Very Special Episode (as in, the only one this year) of NBA Y2K. Go read/watch it.

THE DEATHMATCH: The Spurs eked out a Game 5 win over the Clippers, because that’s what the Spurs do. The game ended around 1:40 a.m. Eastern, because that’s what the Western Conference Playoffs do. The Clippers lost the game on an offensive goaltending call on DeAndre Jordan. Yeah. It was the right call. It’s not my favorite rule. It’s heartbreaking for the Clippers to lose like that. I mean, check out how sad Steve Ballmer looks! He didn’t pay $2 billion to be this sad.

Given that L.A. trailed by one when Jordan touched a Blake Griffin lay-up in the cylinder -- a shot that looked like it may yet have rattled in on its own -- an odd technical foul called on Chris Paul in the fourth came under scrutiny. After a Spurs make, CP3 threw the ball to the baseline ref, perhaps with a bit of extra mustard. The ref caught it easily and T’d up CP3. Refs are sensitive, man.

The Spurs can end this series on Thursday at home.

AND 1: Three more incredible moments from what was really an incredible game. First, Big Baby was super excited and wanted to share that with his closest friends. Later, CP3 put the mother of all hesitation moves on Danny Green, turning him into a statue for just long enough to slip past him. Finally, Boris Diaw hit an improbable jumper on a broken play and achieved enlightenment. Marvelous.

HORSE MURDER: The Rockets finished off the Mavericks unceremoniously, then tweeted a poor-taste emoji homicide (emojicide?) which was later deleted. Houston awaits the winner survivor of Clips-Spurs.

Folks are really running with this James Harden Makes Soup celebration thing.

PUNS, PROBABLY: Reggie Miller has questions about what exactly it is y’all want the refs to suck.

WILL BARTON: God bless him for stepping up in his native city of Baltimore on Tuesday.

TIMELY: Maurice Peebles with a really nice look at the culture shift in NBA team-run social media channels.

PLAYOFF BRAWLS: Matt Ufford on the intensification of NBA brawls in the playoffs. HI J.R.!

IT’S NOT JANUARY ANY MORE: Mike Prada on what’s gone wrong for the Hawks in the first round.

WINNERS & LOSERS: Zach Lowe’s column has some really nice thoughts on something I’ve been really interested in -- the situational superstar -- and lots, lots more.

ALRIGHT: The Thunder have opened talks with Billy Donovan, per Marc Stein. Can I be real for a second and say I’m not sure what exactly makes Billy Donovan a great NBA coach prospect?

WELL THAT’S GREAT: The Cavaliers say it’s “highly unlikely” Kevin Love will play again this postseason.

GOOD QUESTION: What on Earth will the Warriors do about David Lee this summer?

NEAT: If basketball were a sport that required helmets, I would endorse these excellent designs!

NEAT THE SEQUEL: If the NBA were Westeros, I would endorse these NBA team inspired house sigils!

ANYWHERE BUT HERE: James Herbert asks where the Raptors go from here.

STOP RIPPING NETS FANS: Brooklyn is a good sports town. Uh, borough.

THE BEST USE OF SCIENCE SINCE THE INVENTION OF AEROSOL WHIPPED CREAM: A 90-year-old cyborg tortoise.

Happy Wednesday. See you next time.