2015 NBA Playoffs: Clippers-Spurs Game 7 Classic Highlights Inter-Round Weekend

The first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs came to an end this weekend while the second round got under way. Although much of the sporting world’s hype was centered around the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight later on in the night, it was the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs that delivered the classic on Saturday Night. The Clippers took Game 7 from the Spurs 111-109 in front of their home crowd at Staples Center to move on to the next round and knock the defending champions out of the playoffs.

Game 7 went back and forth between both teams all night long, as each run was answered by another. The lead changed more than 25 times throughout the game and would not be decided until the final seconds. Clippers star point guard Chris Paul hit an unbelievable shot in the paint to give Los Angeles the lead in the dying moments of the game. The Spurs, with only one second to work with, were unable to get a shot off. The defending champs were defiant on the road but ultimately would get sent home from the playoffs.

The big stars all shined in the bright lights of Game 7, as Paul had 27 points, while Blake Griffin put up 24 and J.J. Redick hit clutch shots down the stretch to get Los Angeles in position. San Antonio got great efforts out of their stars as well, with Tim Duncan shooting for 27 points and Tony Parker getting 20 of his own.

The Clippers will face the 2-seed Houston Rockets in the next round of the NBA Playoffs. Their series will begin tonight at 9:30 pm EST.

On Sunday, the second round of the playoffs began with an expected result and a surprise. In the East, the top seeded Atlanta Hawks suffered a setback as the Washington Wizards stole Game 1 104-98 to take the early series lead. The Hawks got off to a fast start with their 37 point 1st quarter. The Wizards clawed back into the game and eventually grabbed onto the lead in the second half. With a strong defensive 4th quarter, Washington was able to hang on to the victory. The Wizards are still undefeated in the 2015 NBA Playoffs, having swept the Toronto Raptors in their first series.

Out in the Western Conference was a continuation of the same story all season long, as once again the Golden State Warriors looked dominant. The Warriors made easy work of the Memphis Grizzlies 101-86 to go up 1-0 in their 2nd round series. Golden State had a balanced offensive attack among its starters, led by Steph Curry and his 22 points and 7 assists. Curry is expected to be named the 2015 NBA Most Valuable Player sometime this week after reports leaked after the game on Sunday.

In addition to the start of the Clippers-Rockets series, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls will start their series in Cleveland tonight at 7 pm EST. The series is expected to be a battle between two of the league’s biggest stars in LeBron James and Derrick Rose. The Cavs will also begin life without Kevin Love, who is out for the rest of the playoffs.

Article by Ryan McDonnell