Heading into Game 7 against the Houston Rockets Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), the Los Angeles Clippers have plenty going against them. The franchise has never advanced to the conference finals and after that Game 6 collapse, the Rockets are the ones with momentum.
Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Clippers’ history of Game 7 success
Recent history says not to bet against the Clippers in Game 7.
But for once, history might be on the Clippers' side. In the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin era, the Clippers are 3-0 in Game 7s.
They’ll hope to continue that trend on the road in Houston, where the Rockets are 5-1 during the postseason. Their one loss? In Game 1 against the Clippers, who were without Paul.
The Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012, the Golden State Warriors in 2013, and the San Antonio Spurs in the thrilling Game 7 in the first round of this year's playoffs. For a team that is often criticized for not being tough enough, they continue to play their best in do-or-die situations.
Here’s how:
Chris Paul is a winner
Despite all the “Chris Paul can’t win in the playoffs” storylines we’ve seen, Paul has led his team to three straight wins in games meant to showcase greatness. Here’s his stat line from each Game 7:
First-round win over Memphis, 2012: 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists
First-round win over Golden State, 2014: 22 points, 14 assists and four steals
First-round win over San Antonio, 2015: 27 points, six assists and a bum hamstring
These aren't out-of-this-world stats, but Paul did exactly what he needed to in each situation. The Game 7 win over the Grizzlies was an 82-72 slugfest in a series where each team topped 100 points just once. Paul led the Clippers in scoring while getting no help from the young duo of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, who combined for eight points and eight rebounds. Paul was sublime in the 126-121 win over the Warriors last season.
And against the Spurs? Well, this says it all:
Paul is going to bring his best against the Rockets on Sunday. Plus, he’ll have more backup than he did in that 2012 Game 7 against the Grizzlies. The longer he’s stayed with the Clippers, the more help he’s had.
Blake Griffin continues to grow
Griffin has been a monster in the playoffs. He’s averaging 25.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in the postseason. His improvement from just last year is astounding, and he’s followed a similar trajectory in his last three game 7s.
Against Memphis in 2012, he was nonexistent against Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph with just eight points and four rebounds. He stepped it up in 2014 when he had 24 points, six assists and five rebounds in the win over the Warriors.
Lost in the rightful praise of Paul’s Game 7 performance against the Spurs was Griffin’s absurd night. He had a triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. He was masterful, as he has been throughout the playoffs.
Griffin has been one of the best players in the playoffs. If he puts up another triple-double, Houston is going to have a tough time hanging around.
Doc Rivers likes Game 7s, too
At 5-4, Rivers' Game 7 record isn't spectacular, but he is 2-0 with the Clippers. The NBA champion with the Celtics in 2008, Rivers is a master of motivation, and he'll have to pull out all the tricks on Sunday.
Up until that Game 6 collapse against the Rockets, the Clippers looked every bit the part of an NBA champion. They dominated the Rockets through the first four games of the series. But they gave the Rockets hope. Once again, Rivers has a challenge in front of him.
In the past, it would have been easy to write off the Clippers.
Of course the franchise, once the laughing stock of the NBA, would find a way to blow a Game 7. They’ll never make the conference finals. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin aren’t winners -- they’ll choke when the game is on the line.
But the Clippers aren’t as inept as we think. They have a history of playing their best on the biggest stage, and they’ll have another shot to prove themselves on Sunday. Don’t count them out just yet.
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