Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers Iran-Gate: Details Emerge

Jose Salviati — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:50 -0500

Where Ralph Lawler and Mike Smith's comments drew the ire of a single viewer, Fox's decision to suspend the pair seems to have incited a crowd.

"The suspensions were stupid, and a bad precedent as well."

"I'm flabbergasted."

"So what if they mispronounced a word."

Those comments left by Bill, Mike and Karl seem to echo the sentiment of Clipper fan and non-fan alike. Even my wife, a decidedly unabashed Clipper NON-fan was taken aback when I told her the reason for and single-source that had brought on the suspension.

Details about that single source have emerged. Clipper season ticket holder Arya Towfighi was watching the game with his young son in the room when the brief back-and-forth between Lawler and Smith took place.

The Boston born Towfighi wanted to replay the comment but ushered his son out of the room before doing so. "I didn't want my son to hear that," Towfighi said. He then proceeded to email the LA Times, the Clippers and Fox Sports executives.

Fox initially acted appropriately, in my opinion, by calling Mr. Towfighi and apologizing. A classy move that Towfighi was satisfied with. Fox however felt it wasn't enough and suspended the pair for one game.

It's easy to point fingers and bash when someone is wronged in a way that is so obvious to all. This instance however does not fall into that category. Mr. Towfihi was offended and he had a right to complain and Lawler and Smith should have been more sensitive.

Karl, a writer for B/R who's comment I included above, went on to say "But how ignorant do you have to be not to know the pronunciation of Iran by this point in time?"

Cyrus Hadavi, a member of the Alliance of Iranian Americans in L.A., agrees saying he was left "kind of speechless. In this day and age, why would someone say something like this? Were they trying to offend a whole nation?"

No one thinks either Lawler or Smith were trying to offend a whole nation. Clipper fan Mike said it best when he wrote that anyone "...who has ever listened to Lawler & Smith broadcast for more than one game [know] that those two guys meant anything other than comedy when referring to the Iranian player mentioned in this story."

Two sides to every story.

Were Lawler and Smith guilty of insensitivity and ignorance? Yes. Once again, was that insensitivity and ignorance worthy of a suspension? No.

In his first public comment since the suspension Lawler said, "I'm really sorry with the decision. I deeply regret that anything we said offended even one good Clipper fan or anyone else. I am not a bigot."

Smith, apparently gun-shy about saying anything even remotely controversial said only "Ralph is an incredible broadcaster, an amazing colleague and a wonderful friend."

So we are left today to reflect on decisions made and voice our opinion. That is the wonder of the blog isn't it? With that in mind I humbly submit my final grades to each participant of this unfortunate situation.

Mr. Towfighi—Grade A

Hard to fault the man. He was offended and he reacted. One could argue he had no reason to be offended, but that's to personal a claim to make. What offends one may not offend many but it is an offence nonetheless. He did the right thing in protecting his son and letting his voice be heard.

Lawler and Smith—Grade C

Not a pass, not a fail. Should they have known the correct pronunciation of Iranian? As professional broadcasters I would assume so. Was not knowing the correct pronunciation an egregious flaw? Of course not.

Fox—Grade D-

They started strongly by calling Mr. Towfighi but the followup suspensions were uncalled for. I would bump this up to a C if Fox were to apologize to Lawler and Smith for the unnecessary suspensions. I won't hold my breath.

I also feel the need to point out that Fox added fuel to the fire by not mentioning the longtime Clipper announcers after unceremoniously replacing them with Michael Eaves and Don MacLean. The news was out, everyone was aware of the suspensions but after 25 years behind the mike having never missed a game neither Eaves or MacLean made mention of Lawler!

Ridiculous!!

Smith's absence was also ignored no doubt on orders from Fox.

Mark November 29 on your calendar Clipper fans. In just eight short days the Grizzlies arrive in Los Angeles where the Clippers had long before this incident planned to promote the Grizzlie center and Iranian born Haddadi at the center of the recent storm with "Iranian Heritage Day"

Fans will get a chance to meet Haddadi before the 12:30 p.m. game, get his autograph and an 8-by-10 photo of the center.

It's impossible to make this stuff up.

Ralph and Mike, I know you are aware of this but remember please—its pronounced "e-ranian"! I speak for all Clipper fans I'm sure when I say you were missed last night.

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Mispronunciation Leads to Clipper Suspensions

Jose Salviati — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:43:18 -0500

An already forgettable game became all the more troublesome for the Clippers with word today that comments made by their announcing team led to suspensions.

The Clippers were losing handily to the Memphis Grizzlies when Hamed Haddadi was inserted into the game. It's not unusual for teams to empty their bench near the end of a blow-out victory nor is it odd for announcers to point that fact out.

The Clippers' Ralph Lawler and Mike Smith got into trouble not for disparaging remarks about Haddadi or his native country of Iran. No, Lawler and Smith were suspended for tonight's game against the Denver Nuggets for failure to pronounce Iran correctly.

Smith pronounced Iranian as "eye-ranian" instead of the correct pronunciation of "e-ranian". Lawler quickly followed using the same mispronunciation. A viewer called to complain and suspensions followed.

Fox Sports Prime Ticket, who issued the suspensions, shot an airball on this one.

Much in the same way that a football referee could call holding on every play, or a basketball official could call travelling each time down the court, anyone who speaks for a living is likely to, in some form or another, offend someone sometime.

I heard the remarks that night and frankly I was much more offended by the comment made by Lawler about Haddadi's passing ability that was tinted with a reference to his ethnicity.

I was born in Argentina and doubt I would have taken offense if a behind the back pass by Manu Ginobili was described as "a great no-look pass by the Argentinian gaucho from San Antonio". Others more sensitive than I however might have taken offence at such a reference.

So when word came out about the suspensions I admit to not being surprised. My wife in fact cringed when she heard the aforementioned description of Haddai's pass.

But to learn that the reason for the suspensions was a mispronunciation and by what appears to be a single viewer left me baffled.

"But it is a business. If they offended somebody, I'm sure they didn't do it on purpose." said Baron Davis after hearing about the suspensions.

Yes, of course, basketball is a business but when did it become basketball's job to please everyone all the time?

It's easy to label this a case political correctness gone overboard and maybe it was.

But I think maybe it had more to do with the asinine perception by a media conglomerate that everyone who watches what it produces must shut the TV off with a smile on their face.

No Fox, you can't please everyone all the time.

Was the tete-e-tete between Lawler and Smith edgy? Certainly. Was it offensive? To most I'd say no, to one yes. Does that merit a suspension? No, it does not.

A written apology to the viewer with a Fox T-shirt thrown in for good measure should have sufficed. A private reprimand of the broadcasters should have followed and the matter is closed.

Instead we are forced today to discuss topics like Iran (you say tomato and I say tomahto), political correctness and suspensions instead of the Clippers win over the Nuggets.

In typical Clipper style the team can't even win without some loss attached to it.

This "loss" however sits squarely on the shoulders of Fox.

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Los Angeles Clippers No More? It's Time to Consider a Name Change

Jose Salviati — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:10:24 -0500

I am all for consistency. I believe in sticking with a rookie through tough times and letting a manager live out his contract no matter his record.

I love watching Phil Jackson not call a time-out when his team is floundering; preferring instead to have his squad figure things out. I believe that in the big scheme of things, consistency wins out over impulsive change brought on by panic.

That all being said, I think it's time the Clippers changed their name.

I realize how hypocritical that sounds, but the Clippers are in dire straits. This is no impulse move brought on by panic. Instead, it's a well-thought-out plan to help change the course the Clippers have been on.

In researching this move, I found absolutely NO evidence to support it. A quick look at the three most successful franchises in the three major sports (baseball, basketball, and football) pulls up teams with names unchanged since their conception.

Baseball - Yankees, Cardinals, and Athletics
Basketball - Celtics, Lakers, and Bulls
Football - Giants, Bears, and Steelers

In fact, the only team in the top-10 for any of the three sports listed that may have to change their name are the Washington Redskins. That, of course, is another story.

I dug deeper and continued to come up empty in my attempt to justify the name change.

Since the Washington Bullets became the Washington Wizards in 1995, the very best the team could muster was a 45-37 campaign in 2004-2005. Of course, that would represent a high watermark for the Clippers, so maybe I am on to something after all.

Regardless of a lack of any stone cold, solid facts to support it, I believe it's time for a name change; drastic times call for drastic measures, do they not?

The Clippers have the nucleus of a good squad. Eric Gordon at guard, Al Thorton and Blake Griffin down low, with Kaman at center and Baron Davis at point is a powerful lineup. They play in the greatest city in the world and in one of the most state-of-the-art arenas in all of basketball. They need a name to match and it's my job to suggest it.

Do you know why they are called the Clippers? After arriving in San Diego from Buffalo, the team decided being the San Diego Braves didn't roll off the tongue. They opted for Clippers in deference to the boating and sailing that is done off San Diego bay. They kept the name after arriving in Los Angeles, where the only clippers you will find are at Supercuts.

You may be saying that the Lakers name is pretty silly, considering Los Angeles has as many lakes as it does clipper ships. Good point, but when you win it doesn't much matter what you call yourself. The Los Angeles Werewolves of London would get a parade down Figueroa if they beat up the Celtics in seven games.

The Clippers don't share the storied history the other club in LA does, they don't win consistently; they need the new identity a name change will bring and they need it now.

So, I humbly submit for your approval my choice of names for the basketball team from LA. Each has a link to Los Angeles and would serve as a great starting point to propel the now-Clippers onward and upward.

The Los Angeles Stars

This makes sense for lots of different reasons, the most obvious of which is Los Angeles is the land of stars. We have a sidewalk here littered with them. Less obvious is the link to a 1968-1970 ABA team by the same name. The original LA Stars shocked the basketball world with an improbable run all the way to the ABA Finals in 1970. No, I wasn't there, just read about it! They succumbed to the Indiana Pacers in six games. I for one would welcome that kind of history into what is now Clipper Nation.

The Los Angeles Express

This is also a throw-back to an old team. The LA Express played in the now defunct USFL from 1983-1985. That team captured the imagination of Los Angeles, but never found great success. The name, however, is cool and also would connect our basketball team to one of the first things most people associate with Los Angeles, the freeways.

The Los Angeles Aztecs

Again, I'm resurrecting a long-gone Los Angeles moniker. This time I'm suggesting the name used by the soccer club that ruled LA from 1974-1981. They won a championship in 1974 and would connect the club to Los Angeles's rich latino history.

There you have it, my three name recommendations for the basketball team from Los Angeles. I need to hear from you now, Clipper fans. Vote and vote often. I plan on sending the results directly to Clipper headquarters. No, really, the results will go to Clipper headquarters, so vote. Call your friends, neighbors, enemies, loved ones, and hated ones alike, and vote!

What would you like to hear from the PA announcer when you visit Staples next year?

And now, the starting lineup for YOUR LOS ANGELES...?

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Los Angeles-Denver: Clipper Crystal Ball

Jose Salviati — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:41:15 -0500

Great news. The crystal ball is back from the shop.

They charged me an arm and a leg for the repair, but I have two of each so I paid up.

The ball is polished and ready to dispense solid and accurate information about tonight's battle between the Clippers and Nuggets: The Nugs are, in a word, scary.

After years of being a good team with a reputation for being soft, they seem to be the real deal this year. Denver has a bona fide stud in Carmelo Anthony, a solid supporting cast, and a good bench. Additionally, George Karl is a good coach with a solid resume.

The Clippers are, in a word, trying. No really, they are.

They return from a 1-2 road trip that included two very lopsided losses against teams nowhere near as good as the Nugs. Still, no Eric Gordon or Blake Griffin in sight. Marcus Camby, however, will suit up and the game will be shown nationally on ESPN.

That's right; ESPN is officially on the Clipper bandwagon! I'll scoot over and make room for the broadcasters from Bristol.

They are showing the game to highlight the Clips, right?

On paper this looks like a "W" for the visitors, but the crystal ball disagrees. It puts great value in the game being played in Los Angeles.

The crystal ball sees a Clipper team motivated by word that their coach is on the hot seat. It senses a big game from former Nugget Camby. That's right, the newly polished and repaired Clipper crystal ball is predicting yet another Clipper victory.

Clippers cruise in an upset win 103-98.

The Clipper crystal ball is never wrong!

Well, hardly ever.

OK, it's wrong sometimes.

OK, OK, it's never been right but it's due, isn't it?

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Los Angeles Clippers-Memphis Grizzlies: Understatements Abound

Jose Salviati — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:58:59 -0500

"We're a better team than we're showing right now." - Sebastian Telfair

"Today we just were not on the same page defensively." - Marcus Camby

"We're not unified. We're not all on the same page." - Baron Davis

"That's been our lack of success, on the defense end, rebounding the basketball and careless turnovers at times." - Camby

At least we know the Clippers aren't blind to their problems.

The road trip that started with so much promise after a win in Oklahoma City ended with a loud thud. Great teams look to win more than they lose on the road. Good teams are satisfied with a .500 record away from home. Bad teams get thumped. I'll let you put the pieces of that puzzle together to see where the Clippers fit.

The Dunleavy watch is now officially underway. Once the first coach drops (Byron Scott) every other coach in the league with a losing record is on notice. Not that its at all fair.

Eric Gordon has lost time, Kareem Rush is out for the year, Marcus Camby suffered a lower back injury and played sparingly today. Factor in that Blake Griffin is still about a month away and the Clips 4-9 record seems understandable. Take three starters and a key contributor off the bench from most any NBA team and they will struggle.

That all being said however it would surprise no one if Dunleavy takes the fall. What a mistake that would be. Dunleavy put this team together and deserves the right to see it whole and healthy before a determination on his future is made.

On the down side for Dunleavy and the Clippers is the fact that the team seems to be playing without any passion. Undermanned or not there is no excuse for not bringing 100% each and every game.

The great Chick Hearn coined the phrase "matador defense". Defined as a lackluster, low-effort form of defense in which the defender simply reaches for the ball and then quickly pulls his hand away—similar to how a matador pulls his cape out of the way of a charging bull—as the offensive player drives by him for an easy shot at the hoop.

Hearn coined it, the Clippers perfected it. The Clippers turned it into an art form. Maybe they should wear red capes and throw arrows at their opponents.

Looking forward one can only hope the team shakes itself out of this funk. With that goal in mind and as the self-appointed lighthouse for the basketball team from Los Angeles I am assigning homework.

Sebastian, do your part to bring some unity and passion to the second squad. Come up with a nick name for the bench players. When you get in the game bring energy. Convince everyone who starts the game sitting down that their role is important and to act like it on the bench as well as on the court.

Marcus, who better than a former NBA Defensive Player of the year award winner to inspire this team defensively? Throw out an occasional hint on how to better box out. Follow it up with an at-a-boy when you see someone do what you advised. Be a coach on and off the court. Its time to start thinking about life after you hang up the jersey Marcus, start now. Be the defensive player-coach.

Baron, as the point guard, team leader and face of the club it falls on you to get the guys on the same page. Do it. Team meeting, team dinner, team miniature golf; I don't know what it will take, but do it. I like the idea of putt-putting though.

How can you not get close as a team watching Chris Kaman hunch over a tiny yellow golf ball holding a golf club made for a nine year old as he lines up his putt hoping to avoid the windmill fan?

Blake, get well soon. Please. Hurry back!!

Mike, chill. Just chill. Do your job and don't worry about anything else. I have everything covered and taken care off.

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Clipper Crystal Ball: Los Angeles Vs. Memphis 11/18/2009

Jose Salviati — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:50:07 -0500

In trying to describe the Clippers recently I used the word disjointed. I didn't realize when I used that word how accurate a description it was.

A quick Google look-up of the word returns the following: confused, lacking orderly continuity, not connected, and a basketball team from Los Angeles.

OK, I added that last definition, but no one would be surprised if it were there. The Clippers epitomize being disjointed. Tonight's opponent however seems to fall into the same category.

When you look at the Grizzlies scoring stats one can't help but be impressed.

Conley    8.7
Mayo     18.1
Gay         20.5
Randolph 17.9
Gasol       14.8

Based only on those numbers this has the looks of a solid offensive team. Dig a little deeper into the numbers and you start to see some Clipper-like shortcomings. Specifically a 108.7 points-allowed average and an 0-6 record on the road. Seems they can use a little fire-power coming off the bench to compliment a solid starting five. Isn't Allen Iverson available?

Smile

The Grizzlies are coming off a long rest not having played since a win on Nov. 14. Conversely, this game is the third road game in four days for the Clips. This will also mark the first game for the Grizzlies "officially" without A.I.

ESPN Accuscore is once again Oh-No-Score in giving this game to the Yogi Bears from Tennessee. Idle hands are the devils tools, right?

Too much downtime for the Grizz and a motivated L.A. squad equals a Clipper win tonight.

Tonight's win will give the Clips a winning road trip and a second-straight win against the Grizzlies. Are Clippers disjointed? Yes. Is there hope in Los Angeles? Always. This team is too talented to not compete day in and day out.

I'm sorry, you are curious about the score right? Coming off my amazingly accurate dead-on call of the Clippers point total in the last game I will tell you that the Clips prevail tonight 112 to 105. The Clipper Crystal Ball may bend, but it never breaks.

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Clippers-Hornets: Los Angeles a NO Show in N.O.

Jose Salviati — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:08:56 -0500

"We gave up too many offensive rebounds tonight," said the Clippers' Rasual Butler in what qualifies as the understatement of the year. The Hornets set a team record for rebounds against a Clipper squad that appeared disinterested. Thanks to Paul Augustin, a B/R featured writer for the Hornets, for rubbing salt in the Clipper wound with that tid-bit of information.

Making matters worse, Kareem Rush, on the heels of establishing himself as a key player off the bench the game before, told teammates he has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in this right knee and is out for the season. The Clippers, it seems, can't shake the injury bug.

This apathetic display against an undermanned Hornets team coupled with the injury to Rush will no doubt resurrect talk of the Clipper "curse." I for one am sick of it. There is no curse that can't be reversed with a quality any team can bring daily, 100 percent hustle. The Clippers seem to lack that quality.

The lone bright spot in a forgettable game was the play of Al Thornton. His season-high of 30 points came on 12-for-17 shooting from the field. Thornton blamed the bad start, the Clips falling behind 7-0 and 10-2 to begin the contest, for the loss.

"If we got out to a great start to the game, there's no doubt in my mind it's a win."

So, an eight point deficit was enough to knock the wind out of the Clippers. Since when was an eight point lead safe in the NBA? Not that any team quivers when they see LAC on their schedule but imagine the sense of giddiness that an opposing team will have knowing that all they need to do is put up an imposing eight point lead and the team from L.A. will lay down. Pathetic.

It's easy to kick a team when they are down and that is not my intent here. My plan this year as I follow the Clippers is not to write game recaps, there are plenty of good sources for that, but rather to write team reviews. Less micro and more macro. Right now, this team appears lost in the fog.

Consider me the lighthouse.

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Clipper Crystal Ball Predicts a WIN Tonight Against The Hornets

Jose Salviati — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:08:27 -0500

Tonight the Clippers end their losing ways against the Hornets. I guarantee it.

Yes I know their recent history against New Orleans has been less than stellar. I'm aware of the 10 straight losses, the 16 losses in the last 20 games in New Orleans. I know, I know.

Even the average loss by 22.7 points in their last three trips to the Big Easy hasn't escaped my keen eye. In spite of all this I am boldly going out on the Clipper limb and GUARANTEEING a victory tonight.

The Clippers are due and everything seems to be in place for the win. Byron Scott is out and Jeff Bower is 0-2 since taking over. Chris Paul is out indefinitely with a severely twisted left ankle. Emeka Okafor doesn't look at all comfortable in light blue. This team is ripe for a beat-down and the Clippers are the team to administer it.

ESPN Accuscore has the Hornets as the favorite 53% to 47%. Tonight ESPN's Accuscore will be known as O-No-score because it is way off on this one. The Clippers are making strides in the right direction and that trend will continue tonight. With apologies to that guy on TV, I guarantee it!

Muhammad Ali used to predict the round he would lay the whopping on whoever dared step in the ring with him. I will play the part of Ali in telling you the final score of tonights game; Clippers 102 Hornets 95.

I promise not to gloat too much on Wednesday.

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A.I.'s Link to the L.A. Clippers: It's Not What You Think

Jose Salviati — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:52:24 -0500

The Clippers are L.A.'s basketball team. They actually play their home games in Los Angeles unlike the baseball team from Anaheim that only pretends to play here. Los Angeles's Clippers have called LA home since 1984, that's 25 years! Twenty-five long and storied years filled with success and wins. Ok, well maybe not so much success and wins but 25 years, nonetheless.

The truth is the Clippers have been working to shake off the "Jan-stigma" since they arrived in the City of Angels. In much the same way that Jan was never quite as good as Marcia, the Clippers were never quite as good as this other basketball team that calls LA home. Marcia was prettier, smarter, funnier; Marcia-Marcia-Marcia!!!

2006 has been the high water mark for the Clippers thus far. In what was a magical year they had a franchise best 47 wins, won their first playoff series in LA, went to a seventh game in the Western Conference semifinals and regularly dominated Marcia, um—I mean that other LA basketball team, in their regular season matchups.

Elton Brand said after one drubbing of the blonde hair, blue-eyeded other LA team, "We are supposed to beat teams like that." It was a classic dig, and it was true. The Clippers were prettier, smarter and funnier than that other team.

It turns out that 2006 was simply the year that Jan got attention because of the afro wig. It was fake, an illusion and the team couldn't maintain it. It was a fun ride and it proved that Los Angeles will get behind a winner. It proved that there is no Clipper curse that wins can't exorcise. Win and fans will come. Win consistently and fans will stay!

Sadly, the wins stopped coming after that magical season. Forty-seven wins were followed by win totals of 40, 23, and 19. Ouch. When a team is down they can stay down by making bad decisions (poor trades, bad draft picks, etc) or it can make good decisions, no matter how small.

Good, quality decisions is how any team starts the long road up in the standings. Which leads me to the Allen Iverson connection.

The Clippers like the Memphis Grizzlies courted A.I. this offseason. Coming off a 19 win season the interest was understandable. Los Angelenos love their celebrities and A.I. fit the mold. The Clippers had signed their No. 1 overall draft pick Blake Griffin and expectations were high.

They imagined A.I. bringing energy off the bench solidifying the second unit. The Grizzlies envisioned the same thing, but apparently never bothered to tell Iverson.

"We've never talked to each other, " Iverson said about Coach Lionel Hollins. "We've never even had a conversation ." Inexplicably, the Grizzlies left-hand made a decision without informing the right-hand. When a team is down it can stay there by making bad decisions, remember? File this one under "bad decision" by Memphis.

Of course, A.I. is to blame as well. How do you sign a contract without a firm understanding of what your role will be? If Playboy were to offer me a job I'd want to know if I'm guy who delivers the magazines at 3 AM or the guy who adjusts the tripods during the photo-shoots. Makes a difference.

Michael Wilbon recently wrote in the Washington Post about the Clippers approach to dealing with A.I. this offseason. He wrote that "...the Clippers had the good sense to actually talk to Iverson about his perceived role, only to find out Iverson saw himself as the star of the team and they saw him coming off the bench. "

Clippers and good sense in the same sentence. I know its not much, but to me its just another indication that this team is turning away from its recent past. Where the Grizzlies swung and missed and where A.I. balked, the Clippers hit a home-run.

Imagine what people would be saying if it was them left holding A.I.'s 3-game-worn Clipper jersey. If it were the Clippers forced to sign NBA flotsam and jetsam that is Jamaal Tinsley the outcries would have been persistent.

"Here we go again," "Same old Clippers," "The Clipper Curse lives." Instead the Clippers push towards erasing the past on the heels of a good sense decision.

Somewhere, Jan is smiling!

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Clippers Calm at Conclusion

Jose Salviati — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:15:33 -0500

"We need to learn how to play with a lead," Baron Davis said at the end of the Clippers win over the Thunder. On the heels of a 22 point lead that they saw turn into a 15 point loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Clipper point guard knew of what he spoke.

Generally speaking, you can fit NBA teams into these categories, from bottom to top:

Cellar-Dwellers
Also-Rans
Mediocre-Madness
Playoff-Bound
Elite

The Clippers are looking to make the tough transition from the lower categories to at least the playoff-bound category. They have been working on making that transition for a while haven't they? One of the main ingredients in teams that move up in those categories is quality. Quality plays by quality players who are part of a quality team will lead to movement up towards elite status.

Understanding how to play with a lead is a quality component. Quality teams know how to keep the foot on the accelerator when they have a lead. The Clippers didn't show that component against Toronto but they showed it tonight against Oklahoma City Thunder.

Baron Davis has not had a steller LA Clipper career thus far but he outplayed the Thunders Russel Westbrook in the last two minutes of this game. Davis was either looking for Chris Kaman (who is fast becoming the go-to player the Clippers have lacked since Elton Brand's defection) or taking and making big shots. Quality decisions by a quality player.

Westbook, on the other hand, mistakenly tried to take over the game in the same two minute span. He went 0-for-2 shooting while ignoring the Thunders go-to guy Kevin Durant who happened to have 40 points! Poor decisions by a team struggling to find consistency.

Quality decisions, if repeated over time, will take the Clippers far. One game does not make or break a season, but it was nice to see a quality win, especially on the heels of a tough loss.

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