12/21/24
May 02, 2006
Clippers end 30 year drought: with a victory against the Denver Nuggets, making it the first time since 1976 that they advance to the second round of the playoffs. The possibility of two lower seeds winning it out in the West certainly exists, and Sacramento seems to be right back in it. The West picture is definitely looking a lot more competitive than most envisioned, but can the Clippers advance any further? Will the two Los Angeles teams finally go head-to-head in the playoffs? If so, have the Clippers converted enough fans to have an inkling of home court advantage in that series?
posted by PublicUrinal to basketball at 01:29 AM - 8 comments
If they play the Lakers, we may see the Clips in the Finals! Wow, from 0 to 60 in thirty years!
posted by bkdet at 09:02 AM on May 02, 2006
I've always liked the underdog Oh, horse-hooey. The Clips dropped games towards the end of the season so they wouldn't have to face the Mavs and could have home-court advantage over the three seed due to the fact that the Nuggets managed to slapfight their way to the top in the weakest division in the NBA. Add the fact that the Nuggets suspended Kenyon Martin for the majority of the series and color me unimpressed. They were the single biggest beneficiary of a system that needs major tweaking, which, from what David Stern says, will happen this summer. I've got nothing against the Clips (other than a mild distaste for Dunleavy), and I think it's just fine that they won their first series in my lifetime, but I'm not going to respect them much as a team until they put on a good show against either the Lakers or Suns.
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:49 AM on May 02, 2006
I feel sorry for the Grizzlies: on the road agains the Mavs, instead of at home against the Nuggs... Yes, the system needs a little tweaking...
posted by gloglu at 10:18 AM on May 02, 2006
congrats to the clips. tanking down the stretch aside, this is a time to celebrate as a clippers fan. you are no longer the butt of all nba jokes. that said, this is a laker town and a first round win over an inferior opponent is not enough to take fans from a team with 9 championships and 42 playoff appearances. i went to more clipper games in the last 3 years than laker games not because i loved them like i love the lakers, but because i could actually afford those tickets. hooray for student loans. if (when?) the lakers finish off the suns, this should make for an excellent second round series. it's not as much of a true "rivalry" as people will probably make it out to be, because like yanks/sox (until recently), it's just been one team beating on the other. even if the clippers win, they won't take any born and bred lakers fans, but they'll certainly earn our respect. i'll be happy with either outcome, but i will take extra joy in silencing the many clipperfan-lakerhaters. interestingly, the inverse of that barely exists and i'll be rooting for the clips from here on out if they do make it to the WCF.
posted by ninjavshippo at 12:45 PM on May 02, 2006
not to link to the dreaded espin, but bill simmons has a good column on the looming LAC/LAL matchup, including some good insight into why clipperfan hates lakersfan so deeply. i don't agree with his final conclusion that winner takes the city, but this is probably the best chance little brother has at knocking big brother off his lofty pedestal. if nothing else, that makes for must-see-tv.
posted by ninjavshippo at 01:05 PM on May 02, 2006
Every dog has its day, and the Clippers have been dogs for a long time. Good for them.
posted by LostInDaJungle at 04:00 PM on May 02, 2006
I wanted to see the Clippers and Lakers both win so we could see some confusin over who would be the home team. It will be a hometown rivalry. Watch Jack and Billy duke it out on TV!
posted by shadyboy15 at 05:24 PM on May 02, 2006
I've always liked the underdog. Congrats Clippers