SPORTS SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2017

Clippers look to avoid injuries and bad luck

LOS ANGELES: When it comes to DeAndre Jordan are in their sixth the playoffs, the Los Angeles season together and still in pursuit Clippers’ history is short and not at of their first title. Their sense of all sweet. The once-beleaguered urgency may never be greater. Paul franchise has never made it past the and Griffin are in the final year of second round, and in two of the last their contracts, which include play- three years under coach er options for 2017-18. Jordan has a they’ve blown comfortable series year remaining, with a player leads and ended up going home. At option for 2018-19. A year ago, the least they’re going to open these Clippers owned a 2-0 lead against playoffs at home, and given the Portland in the first round only to team’s recent history, that’s no lose in six games after injuries to small thing. Neither is the momen- Paul and Griffin. tum they’re riding. In 2015, they gave up a 3-1 lead The Clippers won seven in a row against Houston and blew a 19- and 11 of 13 to end the regular sea- point lead in Game 6 with a trip to son. They clinched home court for the Western Conference finals on the first round against Utah six the line. In 2014, Paul had an infa- months after starting the season as mous meltdown, twice turning the the NBA’s hottest team at 14-2. “This ball over and fouling Russell really could be their year,” Westbrook, who made three Sacramento coach Dave Joerger straight free throws to beat the said. “They could really do some- Clippers by one point in Game 5 of thing. They’re in a rhythm, they’re the conference semifinals. They lost playing well.” The Clippers have Game 6 back at home. In fact, the shown maturity down the stretch, Clippers have lost at least once at seizing home court after the Jazz home in their last six playoff put the pressure on by winning on appearances. Wednesday night. The Clippers had “Because of the experiences to beat the Kings to end up tied we’ve had, I think we’re concentrat- with Utah at 51-31, and they owned ing on finishing,” Paul said. “Trying the tiebreaker by virtue of winning not to have those different lapses in the season series 3-1. “This team has games. That’s probably where we’ve CLEVELAND: ’ LeBron James (23) drives past Atlanta Hawks’ DeAndre Bembry (95) in grown a lot,” Blake Griffin said. showed a little bit of growth and we the second half of an NBA game. — AP “Maybe more than any other season won’t really be able to tell until the that we have had here.” playoffs.” Heading into Saturday’s The Clippers survived a com- playoff opener, the Clippers are LeBron confident as bined 42 games without Griffin and healthy, with the exception of back- , going 19-23 in their up guard Austin Rivers, who missed absence. Their worst stretch was a the final six games with a strained six-game skid between Christmas left hamstring. He could return NBA playoffs begin and New Year’s and they responded soon. by starting the new year on a seven- Despite their recent failures, Doc game winning streak, equaling their Rivers insists he never goes into a LOS ANGELES: LeBron James believes the Cleveland the playoffs come into view. “Preparing this group, longest of the season. “When you new playoff series thinking about Cavaliers are ready to defend their NBA crown as the getting us locked in, and understanding what our have as many injuries as we did, the the past. “Does that mean there’s no postseason gets under way this weekend with the opportunity is,” James explained. “Let’s get ready to ups and downs of the season, the residual effect?” he asked. “I can’t Golden State Warriors desperate to reclaim their go. Nothing changes for me. I’ve got to be the leader length of the season, you go say.” While they can’t change their throne. The Cavaliers stumbled into the playoffs after of this team every time I step on the floor. “I’ve gotta through a lot of adversity,” Griffin painful past, they recognize it and an erratic finale to the regular season which saw them command these guys and put them in the right posi- said. “You always say that when we clearly want to get past it. “We’ve pipped for the number one ranking in the Eastern tions to be successful. And I’ve gotta do it at both come out on the other side we are been waiting a long time for this,” Conference by the . But despite a four- ends. And if I do that we’ve got a good chance.” going to be better for it, and I truly said Jamal Crawford, three-time game losing streak which culminated with The biggest obstacle to James and the Cavaliers believe that we are.” Sixth Man of the Year. “Ultimately, Wednesday’s 98-83 defeat to Toronto, James is confi- chances of a repeat NBA title comes in the formidable we’ll be one of the teams judged on dent the Cavaliers will raise their game as they pre- shape of the Warriors. The Western Conference top Infamous meltdown our postseason success, so we’re pare for game one of their best-of-seven series against seeds have by far the best record in the NBA this sea- The Big Three of Griffin, Paul and ready for it.” — AP the Indiana Pacers today. son, finishing in first place with 67 wins against 15 “We have good chance to win it all, but it starts losses. Ominously for their rivals, there are signs that with our opponent in two days,” James said. “So we the Warriors are building irresistible momentum at the have to be very determined but we have to be very right time. smart about our game plan and how we execute. Kevin Durant has returned to form and fitness fol- Through everything that went on with our team, we’re lowing his extended injury lay-off, draining 29 points in a position where we can do something special still.” in 27 minutes during a routine 109-94 victory over the The Cavaliers will head into today’s opener buoyed by Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Stephen Curry the knowledge they have already dominated the meanwhile, who added 20 points in the win, revealed Pacers this season, winning their mini-series 3-1 over that the Warriors were brimming with confidence as the course of the campaign. they geared up for Sunday’s opening playoff game James however insists that his mind is solely against the . focused on the challenge of the here and now as he Curry explained that the team’s mindset had leads the Cavaliers into battle once more. “I’m not changed from a year ago, when they were defending going to harp on about what happened in the regular their title following a record-breaking regular season. season through injuries, through good wins, through “We’re chasing something-we’re not protecting any- bad losses,” James told reporters on Thursday. “We thing this year,” Curry said. “Feel good. Feel confident. have a good club going to the postseason and that’s I just like the way we ended the season this year.” all I can ask for right now. At the end of the day I can’t Elsewhere in the Western Conference this weekend, a have my mind focused on the past right now. The battle of triple-double kings and present is the only thing that matters.” In last year’s James Harden looms large as the Oklahoma City epic NBA Finals series against the Warriors, James Thunder open their series against the Houston inspired the Cavaliers in an unprecedented recovery Rockets. Game one takes place in Houston on Sunday. LOS ANGELES: forward Paul Pierce, left, is fouled from 3-1 down to a 4-3 series victory. The second-seeded meanwhile by forward Troy Williams, right, and is able to score open against the today while the on the play during the second half of an NBA basketball game, ‘Locked in’ fifth-seeded travel to the Los Angeles Monday, April 10, 2017. — AP James is once again relishing his leadership role as Clippers. —AFP