Clips Nation - Clippers-Kings game coverage: last call in Sacto?What it do babyyyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47967/clipsnation_fave.png2013-04-17T23:54:29-07:00http://www.clipsnation.com/rss/stream/40006532013-04-17T23:54:29-07:002013-04-17T23:54:29-07:00Clippers hang on against feisty Kings, 112-108
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<img alt="Does DeMarcus have another facial expression? I've never seen it." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8ds7KME6YnXvGEGBj3iS2NkBEcI=/0x110:2665x1887/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/11722715/20130417_pjc_bs4_225.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Does DeMarcus have another facial expression? I've never seen it. | USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It was neither easy nor particularly pretty, but the Clippers finally defeated the Kings to secure home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They'll open the postseason Saturday against Memphis in STAPLES Center.</p> <p>The Los Angeles Clippers had so much fun during this, the most successful regular season in their history, that they apparently decided to keep it interesting to the very end. So they let the Sacramento Kings hang around and hang around, and even take the lead 98-97 on a <span>Patrick Patterson</span> three pointer with two and a half minutes left. But <span>Jamal Crawford</span> hit back to back threes of his own in response, the first coming on a broken play with the shot clock winding down and a hand in his face, and the Clippers got enough scores to hold on for the victory. Goodness knows they didn't get any stops.</p>
<p>The win is the Clippers' 56th of the season. In the 2010 playoffs, 56 wins would have been good enough for the second seed in the Western Conference; this season it would get you the second seed in the East. But in the West in 2013 it's only good for fourth -- and in the case of the 56 win <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Grizzlies</a>, it's only good for fifth, and they'll have to travel to L.A. to face the Clippers in the first round.</p>
<p>For a team with nothing concrete to play for -- they were never really in the playoff race and had nothing on the line tonight -- the Kings sure did want this game. From the first quarter they were chirping and pushing and glaring at the Clippers. DeMarcus Cousins (who, let's face it, always has a chip on his shoulder), <span>Marcus Thornton</span> and <span>Isaiah Thomas</span> were feeling particularly feisty it seemed; Thomas (who played the entire second half) had something to say to <span>Chris Paul</span> or <span>Eric Bledsoe</span> on every possession, Thornton was complaining to the officials from his first shot, and Cousins was, well, Cousins. And while some NBA coaches are unwilling to use an intentional fouling strategy because they feel it is against the spirit of the game, <span>Keith Smart</span> didn't hesitate to have his players intentionally foul <span>DeAndre Jordan</span> in the fourth quarter in a game where a win meant pretty much nothing to the Kings. How ironic that they blew the execution the first time they tried to hack Jordan and allowed Paul to make a layup simultaneous to the foul, probably costing them two points. All in all, the game was just the kind of feel good evening you would have hoped for in what could be the last NBA game ever played in Sacramento.</p>
<p>With the Clippers up three and Paul headed to the line for two free throws with seven seconds remaining, Thomas and Paul were <i>still</i> going at it, Cousins stepped in to give Paul a shove, <span>Ryan Hollins</span> stepped in to give Cousins a shove, Cousins and Hollins got double technicals, and a few seconds later the lovefest was finally over. As it happens, Cousins had dodged a bullet earlier this week when his 16th technical foul of the season (which carries an automatic suspension) was rescinded by the league. It took him until game 82 to do it, but he got his league-leading 16th after all.</p>
<p>As was the case when these two teams met here a month ago, the Kings went off in the fourth quarter, once again scoring 38 points. The only saving grace for the Clippers this time was that they scored 34 themselves instead of the paltry 18 they scored last time. And what is it about the Clippers that sets Thornton off? After missing all of his threes in the first half, he made five of his first seven in the second half, pulling up in transition every chance he got. He missed his final two or the Kings might have actually won this game. Thornton finished the game 5-12 from deep and finished the season 19-36 against the Clippers in four games.</p>
<p>But it was Cousins who really tormented the Clippers tonight. It was his season high in scoring, the third best scoring game of his career, his career high in rebounds, the second 30-20 game of his career, and the second best points/rebounds game of any player in the NBA this season (<span>Zach Randolph</span> of the Grizzlies had a 38 point, 22 rebounds game against the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Suns</a> in December). So I guess Cousins can play well with a chip on his shoulder (though we've seen the opposite as well).</p>
<p>When you consider that Cousins outproduced <span>Blake Griffin</span> to the tune of 36 points versus seven and 22 rebounds versus four, I guess maybe the Clippers should feel relieved to come away with a win. They can thank guards Paul Crawford and <span>Chauncey Billups</span> on the offensive end, who combined to score 66 of the Clippers 112 points between them. Crawford, you'll recall, needed three three pointers to break the Clippers' single season record for threes made set by <span>Rasual Butler</span> in 2010. He finished with 24 points that included six made threes to easily set the record. Billups bounced back from an 0-5 performance in his return from injury Tuesday night to make four of his first five shots and finish 5-8 for 17 points (the final four coming as clutch free throws in the final seconds). He seemed a tad too eager to be the guy to shoot the Clippers out of the doldrums early in the third quarter when the Kings went on a 14-2 run to take the lead, but you have to take the good with the bad with Chauncey I guess -- he still views himself as a star, and at times that confidence is going to help the Clippers, while at other times it's going to be a problem.</p>
<p>The bigger problem however would seem to be Griffin's back. With the Grizzlies coming to town for Game 1 on Saturday, Griffin has a sore back that clearly limited him in the finale. He took a charge from <span>Travis Outlaw</span> late in the first half and went straight into the locker room afterward. The back apparently tightened up against the Blazers Tuesday. The good news is that he's 24 and may be able to shake this off -- the bad news is that for regular mortal humans, back trouble can be a huge problem. He clearly was not his athletic self today, twice failing to finish dunk opportunities in the third quarter when he was met near the rim. He was certainly fouled by Cousins on the second one -- but it was the kind of foul that wouldn't have mattered a bit to Griffin under normal circumstances. He just didn't have the explosiveness we have come to expect from him. Hopefully he will for the playoffs, but this issue looms large as the big huge Grizzlies come to town.</p>
<p>To Griffin's credit, he did score four of his seven points on two huge baskets down the stretch. First he got a dunk on a pass from Chris Paul, then he tipped in Ryan Hollins' miss with 24 seconds left. Each of those shots stretched the Clipper lead back to five, and the Kings were forced to foul Billups and Paul the rest of the way.</p>
<p>As we suspected, the faithful fans in <strike>Arco</strike> <strike>Power Balance</strike> Sleep Train Arena were completely rabid, and the Kings fought and scrapped to get that final win. But in there was too much Paul and Crawford, and not enough answers on the defensive end. Sacramento will find out it's fate as an NBA city in the next week or so -- but the Clippers have other concerns now, as it's time to prepare for our old friends the Grizzlies.</p>
<p>For the Sacramento perspective, visit <a href="http://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Sactown Royalty</a>.</p>
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<table class="box-score">
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 4.17.2013 </span> </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>4</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> </span></td>
<td>27</td>
<td>27</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>34</td>
<td class="highlight">112</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Sacramento Kings</a> </span></td>
<td>26</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>38</td>
<td class="highlight">108</td>
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<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><span>Complete Coverage ></span></span></p>
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https://www.clipsnation.com/2013/4/17/4237786/clippers-hang-on-against-feisty-kings-112-108Steve Perrin2013-04-17T16:14:23-07:002013-04-17T16:14:23-07:00Clippers-Kings open thread
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>After 81 games, the Clippers postseason fate has still not been decided. Tonight's game in Sacramento will be the difference between starting the postseason in L.A. or Memphis.</p> <p>
</p>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" cellpadding="5" align="center"></table>
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</p>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" cellpadding="5" align="center"><tbody>
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<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2012/2013 NBA Regular Season</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif"></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/297819/832.gif"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/297819/832_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="832_medium"></a> <br id="1366216689056">
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</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>55-26</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>28-53</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>April 17th, 2013, 7:30 PM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Sleep Train Arena</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Prime Ticket, KFWB 980 AM, KWW 1330 AM<br></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tiqiq.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers-tickets?pubid=1011034"><b>Buy Clippers Tickets</b></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Isaiah Thomas</span></b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chauncey Billups</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Marcus Thornton</span></b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Caron Butler</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>John Salmons</span></b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240"><span><b>Blake Griffin</b></span></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Jason Thompson</span></b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240"><span><b>DeAndre Jordan</b></span></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>DeMarcus Cousins</span></b></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Advanced Stats (through games of April 17)</b></th>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">91.1 (19th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>93.6 (8th of 30)</b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">110.5 (4th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>106.1 (12th of 30)</b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">103.5 (8th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>111.3 (29th of 30)</b></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Injuries/Suspensions/Other</b></th>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="text-align: right;"><b>None</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Tyreke Evans</span> (quadriceps) out</b></td>
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<th bgcolor="silver" height="20" colspan="3"></th>
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<p>The early games have not gone the way the Clippers would have liked. The Nuggets beat the Suns, and the Grizzlies will almost certainly beat the Jazz (up 14 as I type this). That means the Clippers will face definitely face the Grizzlies in the first round, opening in L.A. if the Clippers win tonight, opening in Memphis if they lose. It also means the Lakers are in the playoffs.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2013/4/17/4236618/clippers-kings-open-threadSteve Perrin2013-04-17T12:23:37-07:002013-04-17T12:23:37-07:00Clippers-Kings preview: the big finish
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EXkYu0hGUFtUyKG7hHlmHLQhSag=/0x611:2667x2389/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/11694945/20130319_lbm_bs4_431.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Amazingly on the final day of the season, there's still much to be decided. Though a lot of different things can happen, it's pretty simple for the Clippers -- they need to beat the Kings.</p> <table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" cellpadding="5" align="center"><tbody>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2012/2013 NBA Regular Season</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif"></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/297819/832.gif"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/297819/832_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="832_medium"></a> <br id="1366216689056">
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>55-26</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>28-53</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>April 17th, 2013, 7:30 PM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Sleep Train Arena</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Prime Ticket, KFWB 980 AM, KWW 1330 AM<br></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tiqiq.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers-tickets?pubid=1011034"><b>Buy Clippers Tickets</b></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Isaiah Thomas</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chauncey Billups</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Marcus Thornton</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Caron Butler</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>John Salmons</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><span><b>Blake Griffin</b></span></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Jason Thompson</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><span><b>DeAndre Jordan</b></span></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>DeMarcus Cousins</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Advanced Stats (through games of April 17)</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">91.1 (19th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>93.6 (8th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">110.5 (4th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>106.1 (12th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">103.5 (8th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>111.3 (29th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Injuries/Suspensions/Other</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240" style="text-align: right;"><b>None</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Tyreke Evans</span> (quadriceps) out</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" height="20" colspan="3"></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Back Story:</b></p>
<p>-- December 1, 2012 in Los Angeles | <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> 116, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Kings</a> 81 | <a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2012/12/1/3716556/la-clippers-smother-sacramento-kings-116-81" target="_blank"><b>Recap</b></a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20121201/SACLAC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore" target="_blank"><b>Box Score</b></a></p>
<p>-- December 21, 2012 in Los Angeles | Clippers 97, Kings 85 | <a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2012/12/21/3794310/clippers-go-for-a-dozen-beat-kings-87-85" target="_blank"><b>Recap</b></a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20121221/SACLAC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore" target="_blank"><b>Box Score</b></a></p>
<p>-- March 19, 2013 in Sacramento | Kings 116, Clippers 101 | <a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/3/19/4126486/clippers-get-blitzed-in-fourth-by-kings-116-101" target="_blank"><b>Recap</b></a> | <b><a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20130319/LACSAC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore" target="_blank">Box Score</a></b></p>
<p><b>The Big Picture:</b></p>
<p>We've played 81 out of 82 games, and there are still four possibilities for the Clippers' season. The most likely outcome is that they will open the playoffs at home against Memphis in the 4-5 matchup. But they could also open on the road against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a>, or they could move up to the three seed and host either Golden State or Houston. How's that for uncertainty on the final day of the season? Or you could be a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> fan and not know if you're going to be the seven seed, the eight seed, or miss the playoffs entirely. Craziness. The Clippers lost a game in Sacramento less than a month ago, and this will be an emotionally charged night in Sacramento given that this could be the final NBA game played in the state capital after 28 years. Truthfully, that March loss probably helps the Clippers tonight, because they'd have have to have amnesia to take the Kings lightly. The Clippers are on a back-to-back -- but none of the starters played in the fourth quarter in a laugher against the Blazers last night; Griffin played 27 minutes and no one else on the roster played more than 25, so fatigue should not be an issue. Nor should motivation since so much is riding on the game. The Kings and the crowd will have plenty of emotion invested in the game, but the Clippers should be focused -- and they'll have a major talent advantage. The Clippers will have no one to blame but themselves if they lose this game -- but they won't.</p>
<p><b>The Antagonist:</b></p>
<p>I'm sure there are nuances to the relocation discussion that I don't understand. BUT -- it seems to me there are some basic facts that are inescapable. There's a group of buyers who want to keep the Kings in their current city at a purchase price that would be an NBA record with a commitment to build a new arena. What else does anyone need to know? No city has EVER lost their team in those circumstances, for what I should think are obvious reasons -- why <i>should</i> any city lose their team in those circumstances? Oh, and by the way, if there's a group in Seattle that is willing to pay a record price for the Kings, then why isn't expansion on the table? (And don't get me started on the lockout and how the owners were supposedly on the brink of bankruptcy 18 months ago.) That's what I have to say about that. The Kings versus expansion bit makes a decent transition into talking about this team -- why would anyone want it? Wouldn't starting over from scratch with an expansion draft be preferable? The roster is a mess; the most talented player on the team is incredibly volatile and possibly uncoachable, the second most talented player on the team doesn't have a position in the NBA and the third most talented player on the team is a midget. The Kings as presently constituted can certainly put points on the board as the Clippers found out last month, but they can't stop anyone, and it's difficult to see how they're going to get much better. Cousins certainly has headroom, but he's also a headcase. Evans' numbers have gone down every season he's been in the league, and it's hard to imagine that Isaiah Thomas can get anything more from his 5'7 body. So where is the internal improvement coming from? As for external improvement, with the ownership situation in flux for several years now, the Kings have done nothing to improve the team in recent years -- at least a new ownership group could get down to the business of helping the team get better. Having said all that, fear the Kings tonight. The arena/barn will be electric and the Kings have plenty of shooters (a fact the Clippers know firsthand). If the shots are falling, this game could get real scary real fast.</p>
<p><b>The Subplots</b></p>
<ul>
<li> <b>Comparison of key metrics.</b><span style="line-height: 9.75px;"> </span>The Kings have been scoring points in bunches since the All Star break -- but they give up lots of points as well. Only Charlotte has a worse defensive efficiency this season -- and not by much.</li>
<li> <b>Scoreboard watching.</b> The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Nuggets</a> and Grizzlies each tip off at 5 Pacific and those games should be over before the Kings and Clippers get started. If Denver wins and Memphis loses it renders this game meaningless; the Clippers will be locked into home court advantage in a first round series with the Grizzlies, win or lose against the Kings. In that case (which is a realistic possibility) <span>Vinny Del Negro</span> will probably pull the starters very early and give them the rest of the night off. Any other outcome and the Clippers have something to play for. If the Nuggets lose, the Clippers can jump to the third seed with a win; if the Grizzlies win, the Clipper must win to retain home court advantage. In the unlikely event that the Nuggets lose and the Grizzlies win, the outcome of the Kings game will determine whether the Clippers finish third or fifth in the conference -- they could go from home court advantage against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a> all the way down to opening the playoffs on the road in Memphis.</li>
<li> <b>Tyreke out.</b> Tyreke Evans took a hard fall under the basket in the Kings last game and has strained quadricep -- he's out of the finale. </li>
<li> <b>Thornton in.</b> The fact that Evans is out may not exactly be good news for the Clippers. Marcus Thornton will like start in place of Evans, and he's been an absolute Clipper-killer in his time with the Kings. He scored 25 in their win last month, making 6-10 three pointers. He made 6-9 against them in December. He is shooting 37 percent from deep on the season, but has made 14-24 against the Clippers. He also scored 29 against them in 2011.</li>
<li> <b>Speaking of which....</b> Does this scenario seem a little familiar? Kings on the brink of moving out of Sacramento, Clippers in town playing in front of a rabid fan base urging the home team to victory? That 29 point Marcus Thornton game occurred February 28, 2011, when it seemed inevitable that Henry Samueli was going to purchase the Kings and move them to Anaheim. The Clippers game was designated "Here We Stay" night by our friends at Sactown Royalty and various other Kings sites. The Kings were pretty bad that year and they were also missing Tyreke in that game, but the fans carried the team to an emotional win -- and the Kings stayed in Sacramento. Deja vu, anyone?</li>
<li> <b>Clippers three point record.</b> <span>Jamal Crawford</span> is two three pointers away from the Clippers single season three point record. Crawford has 143 threes on the season -- <span>Rasual Butler</span> made 145 three seasons ago. Crawford has not been shooting the ball particularly well lately, but he certainly seemed to be going for the record last night, when seven of his eight field goal attempts came from beyond the arc.</li>
<li> <b>Preseason prediction.</b> Before the season began, I picked the Clippers to finish 55-27 this year. Which puts me in a win-win situation tonight. If the Clippers lose, my prediction is spot on. If they win, well, they win. (Hint: I'd actually prefer that they win.)</li>
<li> <b>Healthy at the right time.</b> My preview box up at the top of the page reads "None" under "Injuries" for the Clippers. That hasn't happened much this season. Actually, it hasn't happened at all, but that's a little misleading since there were a few games where Trey <strike>Thompson</strike> Thompkins was the only injury. Back in February, the Clippers played 11 games where Thompson was the only player unavailable due to injury. However, even then Paul had just come back from an injury and was rounding back into game form, and Bledsoe was playing with a sore calf for many of those games. It's hard to know if Billups is fully healthy at this point, but the rest of the roster is certainly as healthy as it has been all season. That's exactly what you want heading into the postseason.</li>
<li> <b>The Chauncey Dilemma.</b> Having Billups back could be a blessing or a curse for the Clippers. Obviously he has a wealth of playoff experience, more than anyone else on the team. Billups has played 140 career playoff games and is a Finals MVP; <span>Lamar Odom</span> has played 102 career playoff games, and no one else comes close. And he's been an NBA All Star as recently as 2010. But there's no denying that the Clippers best basketball this season has occurred without Billups. The simple fact that they've played 60 games without him means that those rotations, with <span>Willie Green</span> in the starting lineup, are much more familiar. Moreover, while it's reasonable to say that Billups is an upgrade over Green, it's far from clear that he should be taking minutes away from <span>Eric Bledsoe</span> or Jamal Crawford. It's pretty easy to argue that a three guard rotation of Paul, Crawford and Bledsoe would give the Clippers their best chance of winning in any given game -- but this is Chauncey Billups, and it's not clear that Vinny Del Negro is going to bench him in favor of those other guys. In fact, it is pretty clear that Billups would not be happy if that were to happen, and that he's not going to defer a lot when he is on the floor. We've said all along, the incredible depth the Clippers have presents the team with a first world problem of how best to use it all: unfortunately, injuries during the season have kept them from fully figuring it out, and now the postseason is here.</li>
<li> <b>Three point shooting.</b> The Kings outscored the Clippers 38-18 in the fourth quarter of the last meeting. They made 5-8 three pointers in the fourth and 14-28 in the game. <span>Toney Douglas</span> -- a throw in in the trade that sent <span>Thomas Robinson</span> to Houston -- scored 17 points in the fourth quarter of that one, and Douglas and Thornton made nine three pointers between them. There's one way the Clippers lose this game tonight -- see if you can guess what it is.</li>
<li> <b>Chris Paul in the post.</b> Chris Paul likes to play in the post and he's good at it. It's not often that he has a size advantage there, but he will tonight against Isaiah Thomas. Only problem is, the Clippers went to this matchup repeatedly in the last game <i>and it didn't work</i>. Paul finished 2-10 and turned the ball over seven times in one of his worst games of the season if not his career. Certainly he was having a bad game, which happens, but I also got the impression that the Clippers' insistence on posting Paul got out of hand, and threw the team's rhythm off. I'm all for going at specific matchups -- but you can't forget who you are in the process. It might be wise to be a little less insistent tonight.</li>
<li> <b>Connections.</b> <span>Travis Outlaw</span> is still in the NBA! Who knew? Outlaw was briefly a Clipper in 2010 and he was signed by the Kings after being amnestied by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a> -- he's actually played 42 minutes in the last two games for some reason that escapes me. <span>Matt Barnes</span> played high school basketball and football at Del Campo High in Sacramento. DeMarcus Cousins, <span>Patrick Patterson</span> and Eric Bledsoe were college teammates for one season in Kentucky before becoming NBA first round draft picks in the 2010 draft. <span>James Johnson</span> and Chris Paul are two of the seven current NBA players who went to Wake Forest. Blake Griffin and <span>Cole Aldrich</span> were Big 12 adversaries for two seasons in college when Griffin was a Sooner and Aldrich a Jayhawk. Clipper head coach Vinny Del Negro was originally a second round pick of the Kings in 1988 and played two seasons in Sacramento. Finally, does anyone know if Marcus Thornton is related to former Clipper Al Thornton? At one point I thought they were cousins, but basketball-reference doesn't mention it.</li>
<li><b>Get the Kings perspective at <a href="http://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Sactown Royalty</a>.</b></li>
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<p><b>Lyrical reference:</b><br><br><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qgmxPb-ego" target="_blank"><b>King of the Road -- Roger Miller</b></a><br><br><i>Trailers for sale or rent <br>Rooms to let fifty cents<br>No phone no pool no pets <br>I ain't got no cigarettes<br>Ah but, two hours of pushing broom <br>Buys a eight by twelve four bit room<br>I'm a man of means by no means <br><b>King</b> of the road</i><br><br>When I was a kid -- I'm talking a little kid, before my older brother had any <i>Jethro Tull</i> albums for me to listen to, before my older sister got into Elton John, maybe even before I had my beloved <i>Monkees </i>albums -- there weren't a lot of music options in the house. My parents didn't exactly have an extensive record collection -- some classical, the <i>West Side Story</i> soundtrack (which I know by heart) and not a lot else. But they did have <i>Roger Miller's Greatest Hits</i>, and I loved that old piece of vinyl. <i>King of the Road</i> is of course the definitive Roger Miller tune, but there are plenty of other great ones. Also -- how great is that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qgmxPb-ego" target="_blank">YouTube of ol' Roger</a>? You might also be interested in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llxXTlhggbo" target="_blank"><i>REM</i>'s cover</a> (in which a seemingly tone-deaf Michael Stipe is either drunk or just tired of performing) and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbXapBdTT4o" target="_blank"><i>the Proclaimers</i> excellent cover</a> (which presents the incongruous image of an American hobo with a Scottish brogue -- <i>no paits, pooshing broom, etc.)</i></p>
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https://www.clipsnation.com/2013/4/17/4235008/clippers-kings-preview-the-big-finishSteve Perrin