That previous paragraph applies to to roughly 39 out of the 48 minutes of the game, unfortunately, Memphis chose to stop playing after the 39 minute mark, while the Clippers never stopped and never gave up. Vinny Del Negro wanted to pull the starters, but Chris Paul did not let him and we were treated to one of the most improbable and remarkable comebacks in NBA playoff history. From 95-71 to 99-98, a 28 to 3 (3 points in 8 minutes!) run to close out the game... just incredible. Sitting there and watching the team I picked (and wagered on) to make the finals blow this lead was shell-shocking and the worst part is: I can't even try to explain what the hell just happened. Memphis fell asleep and blew it, it really is that simple. Every once in a while, sports gives us a moment like this and we are reminded of why we watch and why we should never turn off the TV until the final buzzer sounds.
So what happens next? The good news for the Grizzlies is that it is only one game, the series is still far from over, and they have two days to get over this before playing again. It will be very difficult to overcome such a collapse, but it is not impossible (see Dallas-Portland from last year), time will still show whether this was a major wake up call for Memphis, or a spring board for the Clippers to make a deep and exciting playoff run. After a mediocre opening day (saved by Durant's heroics and Orlando's improbable run) and a dull second day (obviously saved by the Clippers), suddenly these playoffs seem much more interesting than they were two days ago. Here's hoping that tomorrow brings more of what we witnessed tonight. Cheers
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