boutons_deux
05-14-2012, 08:17 AM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — I've got your grit and grind here, Memphis, and they are wearing Clippers uniforms.
The Grizzlies were supposed to be the better team, with fans holding up "Believe Memphis" towels and a newspaper columnist here detailing the intangibles early on that would separate Memphis from L.A.
But while the columnist moves on now to write about the minor league baseball team here or the town's best bowlers, the Clippers have already landed in San Antonio — and with no need of a plane to get them there.
The Clippers were the tougher team when it really counted, oozing with determination and digging deeper when everyone had them buried after Game 6.
I didn't even pack clothes for San Antonio, never being so wrong and absolutely thrilled now to look so silly.
As often as the headlines go sour in professional sports, what a kick to hear Coach Vinny Del Negro walk through the locker room singing, "It's a miracle."
Del Negro stopped to crack: "I just got a text from Mike Eruzione."
Everything, including ABC-TV's pregame concentration on Memphis, was stacked against the Clippers. And yet inside the Clippers' locker room Chris Paul made sure everyone knew he had already booked a flight to San Antonio for his wife and son.
"And I didn't want them going there without me," he said.
Memphis has its mottoes; the Clippers have their leader in Paul.
But maybe this series never gets this far if it isn't another veteran in Caron Butler who opts to play with a broken hand and no pain medication.
Maybe it was the third time, or the fourth, that he got his hand whacked, but all Butler can remember is that he could not feel the fingers on his hand as he went to shoot free throws.
"I'm going to be crying all the way to San Antonio," he said to the courtside media, and that was with two quarters still to play because he believed his team was going to prevail.
When he did come out of the game, he walked the sideline with Del Negro. At one point he got in the face of Paul asking for more.
And then he was screaming, "Yes, yes, yes," the game almost over, hugs all around.
"To get that win and embrace all the fellas, the pain was well worth it," said Butler.
How painful might the results have been?
Instead of maybe coaching his last game with the Clippers, Del Negro was taking congratulations from team President Andy Roeser and a telephone call as well from owner Donald Sterling.
"It's a good step forward for the franchise, and I appreciate their support," said Del Negro. "But it's all about the players; they did this."
Del Negro did not hear from Clippers General Manager Neil Olshey after the game; Olshey spent a good deal of time during this series with Memphis lead assistant Dave Joerger. Maybe Joerger needed some consoling.
http://mobile.latimes.com/p.p?m=b&a=rp&id=2112958&postId=2112958&postUserId=7&sessionToken=&catId=6219&curAbsIndex=1&resultsUrl=DID%3D6%26DFCL%3D1000%26DSB%3Drank%2523 desc%26DBFQ%3DuserId%253A7%26DL.w%3D%26DL.d%3D10%2 6DQ%3DsectionId%253A6219%26DPS%3D0%26DPL%3D3
The Grizzlies were supposed to be the better team, with fans holding up "Believe Memphis" towels and a newspaper columnist here detailing the intangibles early on that would separate Memphis from L.A.
But while the columnist moves on now to write about the minor league baseball team here or the town's best bowlers, the Clippers have already landed in San Antonio — and with no need of a plane to get them there.
The Clippers were the tougher team when it really counted, oozing with determination and digging deeper when everyone had them buried after Game 6.
I didn't even pack clothes for San Antonio, never being so wrong and absolutely thrilled now to look so silly.
As often as the headlines go sour in professional sports, what a kick to hear Coach Vinny Del Negro walk through the locker room singing, "It's a miracle."
Del Negro stopped to crack: "I just got a text from Mike Eruzione."
Everything, including ABC-TV's pregame concentration on Memphis, was stacked against the Clippers. And yet inside the Clippers' locker room Chris Paul made sure everyone knew he had already booked a flight to San Antonio for his wife and son.
"And I didn't want them going there without me," he said.
Memphis has its mottoes; the Clippers have their leader in Paul.
But maybe this series never gets this far if it isn't another veteran in Caron Butler who opts to play with a broken hand and no pain medication.
Maybe it was the third time, or the fourth, that he got his hand whacked, but all Butler can remember is that he could not feel the fingers on his hand as he went to shoot free throws.
"I'm going to be crying all the way to San Antonio," he said to the courtside media, and that was with two quarters still to play because he believed his team was going to prevail.
When he did come out of the game, he walked the sideline with Del Negro. At one point he got in the face of Paul asking for more.
And then he was screaming, "Yes, yes, yes," the game almost over, hugs all around.
"To get that win and embrace all the fellas, the pain was well worth it," said Butler.
How painful might the results have been?
Instead of maybe coaching his last game with the Clippers, Del Negro was taking congratulations from team President Andy Roeser and a telephone call as well from owner Donald Sterling.
"It's a good step forward for the franchise, and I appreciate their support," said Del Negro. "But it's all about the players; they did this."
Del Negro did not hear from Clippers General Manager Neil Olshey after the game; Olshey spent a good deal of time during this series with Memphis lead assistant Dave Joerger. Maybe Joerger needed some consoling.
http://mobile.latimes.com/p.p?m=b&a=rp&id=2112958&postId=2112958&postUserId=7&sessionToken=&catId=6219&curAbsIndex=1&resultsUrl=DID%3D6%26DFCL%3D1000%26DSB%3Drank%2523 desc%26DBFQ%3DuserId%253A7%26DL.w%3D%26DL.d%3D10%2 6DQ%3DsectionId%253A6219%26DPS%3D0%26DPL%3D3