Chris Paul hit the game winner on a bum hamstring. Blake Griffin had a triple-double. They were the key players in the Los Angeles Clippers' thrilling Game 7 win over the San Antonio Spurs to advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
It wasn’t just Chris Paul who carried the Clippers to a Game 7 win
Sure, Chris Paul had an otherworldly performance and Blake Griffin was phenomenal, but the Clippers would have never stood a chance if not for the inspired play of the role players.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
But it wasn't just the stars who stepped up for the Clippers. Los Angeles was lambasted for its lack of depth all season, but it was the play of Matt Barnes, J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford that pushed the Clippers over the edge in the win.
Paul had 27 points and six assists and Griffin added 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. But because Doc Rivers went small in the fourth quarter -- leaving DeAndre Jordan on the bench to avoid a free-throw shooting contest -- the Clippers relied more on Barnes, Redick and Crawford than usual. They stepped up. The three players combined for 47 points, including 15 in the fourth. Most importantly, they made it so that Paul and Griffin didn't have to do it all by themselves.
The final minute was all Paul. It was the stuff of legend. But he wouldn’t have had the chance if it wasn’t for his teammates.
Matt Barnes was everywhere
Barnes played one of the best games of his career on Saturday. His 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks were fantastic, but it was his presence on defense and the shots he made in the clutch that were even more important than the stat line. Of his 17 points, none were more important than his three-point shot with two minutes and 12 seconds left that tied the game at 105.
The Spurs had a chance to put the game away when Tony Parker took a runner in the lane with 2:25 left, but the shot Parker has made hundreds of times rimmed out. Barnes grabbed the rebound and quickly got it to Paul, who pushed the ball up court. He found Redick in the corner, who drove into the lane, drawing Boris Diaw in to help. This left Barnes, who settled at the top of the arc trailing the play, wide open. Redick found him and Barnes nailed the shot to tie the game.
Barnes was great defensively, too. On the final play of the game, there was no way he was letting Kawhi Leonard get a bucket:
(h/t RealGM)
Barnes was in the perfect position. He was close enough to Marco Belinelli on the perimeter, but in position to clog the lane and stop the pass he ultimately stopped.
Barnes showed great instincts on defense all night. It was fitting that he swatted away the Spurs’ last chance.
J.J. Redick made timely shots
Redick was 4-of-7 from deep on his way to 14 points. The Clippers will take that every night, especially when he hits shots at opportune times.
Trailing 97-94 with less than five minutes to play, Redick brought the ball up the court. Instead of setting up the offense, he looked to score quickly. He dished the ball to Griffin at the top of the key. Griffin made a quick handoff back to Redick and set a screen on Manu Ginobili, who was guarding Redick. J.J. then dribbled away from the screen and got the split second he needed to get an off-balance shot off. It ripped through the net to tie the game.
Tim Duncan answered with a bucket on the next Spurs possession to take the lead 99-97, but Redick wasn't done. The next time down the court, he took a hand off from Griffin at the top of the arc and got Danny Green in the air with a pump-fake. He hit the wide-open shot to give the Clippers the lead with 4:23 to play.
Redick was solid against the Spurs throughout the series. He’ll need to continue hitting shots against the Rockets, and it won’t hurt for the Clippers if he continues playing well in crunch time.
Jamal Crawford made the Clippers’ bench seem good
The Clippers bench is thin, there’s no denying that. But Crawford made everyone forget it on Saturday night.
Paul left the game with 1:52 left in the first quarter with the Clippers leading 23-22. It was the perfect time for a Spurs run. Instead Crawford hit a three and a driving layup and Los Angeles only trailed by two after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Crawford continued to carve up the Spurs’ defense with Paul on the bench. He found Redick for a three early in the second quarter, then found Griffin for a slam. Then, he hit two jump shots of his own. In the eight minutes Paul was off the court, Crawford had nine points and two assists. Instead of the Spurs pulling away, the Clippers were down by one, 39-38, when Paul stepped back on the court.
Once Paul returned, Crawford didn’t have to control the offense, but he was still instrumental. He ended the night with 16 points, including the game-tying layup with 1:10 left. Crawford’s net rating was +11 in his 32 minutes, the highest of any Clippers player.
It wasn't just Crawford who was big off the bench. Glen Davis played 11 minutes two nights after badly rolling his ankle in Game 6. He had six points, three rebounds and swatted two shots.
Bring on the Rockets
Needless to say, these glue guys are going to need to keep playing at a high level if the Clippers are going to continue their playoff run. After the game, Barnes told reporters, “I feel like we’re the best team in the playoffs.”
We know Paul and Griffin are going to continuing doing what they do. But for Barnes’ statement to be true, he -- along with Redick, Crawford and the Clippers’ bench -- are going to have to play just like they did on Saturday.
See More:
