Tim Duncan is 39 years old. He's been in the NBA for 18 years and played nearly 55,000 minutes -- combining the regular season and playoffs -- throughout his career. He has a left leg that doesn't work correctly and most of the time seems to be laboring to just get his 6'11 frame down to the block.
2015 NBA playoff scores: Tim Duncan leads Spurs in a classic Game 5 win
San Antonio took a 3-2 series lead over the Clippers with its nail-biting victory Tuesday night.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Yet there he was Tuesday night, once again taking over a must-win playoff game. He did in his normal quiet way, with an efficient 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists to lead the Spurs to victory.
There was also that play with less than a minute left. Trailing 107-105, Blake Griffin received the ball in the paint. He had the smaller Danny Green on him and decided to take him to the basket. The path looked to be clear as Griffin released his shot. Only it wasn't. Duncan had slid over and got his hand up in time to block the shot. He managed to do so while keeping his left hand locked on DeAndre Jordan, preventing Griffin from dumping it off to him. The ball was blocked back into Griffin's chest. He went up again. Duncan stuffed him again.
Of course, this being the Clippers-Spurs, the final minute following Duncan’s block wasn’t a simple one. The Clippers had one more shot with less than 10 seconds remaining. Griffin once again received the ball in the paint and got a shot up at the rim. It bounced a bit but looked to be falling in before DeAndre Jordan tapped it through the net. It was ruled offensive interference. The basket was waived off.
It was a weird night for Griffin, whose box score will show a dominant game: 30 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. But he struggled in the fourth quarter, missing two free throws with 39 seconds left and going just 1-of-9 from the field.
But he wasn't the only Clippers player who struggled. Almost everyone except Chris Paul, who had 19 points and 10 assists, struggled. The team connected on just one of its 14 three point attempts, while the Spurs went 11-of-23 from deep. Patty Mills hit all four his three point attempts and finished with 13 points. The Spurs' bench combined to score 48 points.
But this night belonged to Duncan, the aging player who refuses to age. If the Spurs hold on and advance into the second round they’ll have him to thank. Considering his age and the player and team he’s going up against, well, this is one of those runs that we might never see from a player again.
3 other things we learned
The Clippers' bench is costing them this series. Griffin struggled in the fourth quarter, but can you really blame a game on a guy who had 30 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists? (The answer is no.) The Clippers' real problem is their bench, or lack of it. In Game 5 the L.A. bench was outscored 48-17. San Antonio's reserves went 10-of-14 from deep and shot 54 percent from the field. That's the difference in the game and currently the series. The Spurs can overcome a struggling Tony Parker (13 points, three assists). The Clippers can't win unless each of their three stars plays a perfect game.
The Rockets are actually deep. In their 103-94 series clinching Game 5 win Tuesday night, the Rockets got 20 points from Josh Smith and 15 points from Terrence Jones. That helped make up for off-nights from Corey Brewer and Trevor Ariza (five points each). Houston knows what it's going to get from James Harden every night, and now it looks like Dwight Howard is nearly back to being his dominant self. But contributions from the rest of the roster is what's going to make the Rockets a tough out in Round 2.
The Mavericks are going home. Things have been going downhill for a while now in Dallas and Tuesday night the season finally came to an end, in the form of a Game 5 loss in Houston to the Rockets. The downfall started with the Rajon Rondo trade, which, didn't exactly work out. The Tyson Chandler trade didn't really work either as Dallas still struggled on the defensive end of the floor. Now seemingly everyone on the team is a free agent. Monta Ellis has a player option. Chandler's contract is up, as is Rondo's, and the latter is surely gone. What Dirk Nowitzki decides to do is anyone's guess. What is clear though, is it's time for the Mavericks, who have yet to win a playoff series since their 2011 title run, to rebuild.
Play of the Night
This is just nasty from Chris Paul. RIP Danny Green's ankles, and self esteem.
9 other things
Scores
Rockets 103, Mavericks 94 (The Dream Shake recap | Mavs Moneyball recap | SB Nation recap)
Spurs 111, Clippers 107 (Pounding the Rock recap | Clips Nation recap | SB Nation recap)
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