Game 5

Barkley said it right: it came down to the Spurs bench. The Clippers starters are better than the Spurs. Paul and Griffin are the two best players in the series. Jordan is a monster on the boards, put backs, and defense. Do you see how many Spurs shots are altered near the rim because of his presence? But the Clips were worn down and tired by the 4th quarter -- especially Blake. And maybe he gets a little jittery in the head. He does continuously seem to play sloppier at the end of games -- but you know what -- everyone does during hard fought, intense games. Witness Danny Green's wide open three that barely hit the rim. And that said, Blake's shot at the end might've just rolled in anyhow. Tough loss for the Clips. But you have to tip your hat to the Spurs, especially Duncan. He's awesome. I mean, that block on Blake was, as Pop said, the play of the game. The guy has a knack for winning and being at his best when his best is needed. He doesn't have the stats of Griffin, he just scores big baskets when his team needs them and makes big plays on defense when you don't expect it of a 39 year old who can't jump. And he does it all without making a big deal of it. I know pundits are saying it is Kahwi's team now, as they said it was Parker's team years ago. Come on, bra. This is Duncan's team. Always has been.