| Bring On The Lakers Authored by Graham Flashner - May 2, 2006 - 4:30 am
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Riding the emotion of a red-shirted, towel-waving crowd, the Clippers let the hapless Denver Nuggets hang out for 30 minutes or so, before blowing them out, 101-83.
The Nuggets left town still waiting for Carmelo Anthony’s game to show up, and still waiting for someone – anyone - to hit an outside shot.
The Clippers, meanwhile, hoped to remain in Los Angeles for what comedian Billy Crystal has already dubbed “The Hallway Series” against the Lakers, a series that promises to polarize the city like no other.
“It’s gonna create dissension,” said a smiling Elton Brand, anticipating the first series in history between two teams sharing the same arena.. “Mothers vs. sons, fathers vs. daughters.”
That’s assuming the Lakers can close out the Phoenix Suns , which few Clippers seemed to doubt they would do. “We know Kobe’s gonna finish that up,” said Cuttino Mobley. “{Kobe’s] my favorite player,” chimed in Sam Cassell. “He’d love playing this series.”
If the Lakers can close out as ruthlessly as the Clippers did, it won’t be a problem. The Clips had no intention of flying back to Denver, not with Sam Cassell (back) and Chris Kaman (ankle) hurting. “It was very important for us to finish the series quickly,” said coach Mike Dunleavy.
Like any team that hasn’t won a playoff series in 30 years, the Clippers came out over-anxious, committing 7 turnovers in the first quarter and letting the Nuggets pound the ball inside.
“I raised my voice a few times,” said Dunleavy. “I didn’t like the way they were playing. They got caught up in the crowd.”
With Elton Brand having an uncharacteristically sluggish first half (1-5 shooting) and Greg Buckner (20 points) and Andre Miller (15) getting some sort of a running game going, the Nuggets were within 6 at halftime.
But even when Denver crept to within a point in the third quarter, there was a sense they were never in the game. Like the crowd, they seemed to be waiting for the inevitable Clippers spurt. This time, it was an 18-3 run that closed the third quarter and opened the fourth, pushing the Clippers lead to 75-57 and essentially closing the curtain on a Denver team whose weaknesses – poor shooting, one-dimensional offense, lack of inside threats – were exposed time and again by Dunleavy.
Carmelo Anthony, who shot 8-24 while battling his way through double and triple-teams, called the Nuggets season a “very unsuccessful one”, and lamented the absence of suspended forward Kenyon Martin, who has most likely played his last game in a Denver uniform. The Nuggets have not won a playoff series since 1994.
And for all the hype over their own achievement, the Clippers were fairly restrained. Almost to a man, from Cassell and Brand to Dunleavy and GM Elgin Baylor, the Clippers believe sounded a common theme: this team was built for the playoffs; the real work is just beginning. “Everything’s going as expected,” said Baylor.
Now the Lakers just have to do their part. |
