Clippers, Spurs Appear Destined for 7-Game 1st-Round Series

Tightly contested back-and-forth battles have been largely absent from the first round of the NBA playoffs, with one glaring exception—a top-tier tussle between the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs.

Now, that's not to say the first round has been devoid of drama. The Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans dispelled that myth during a Game 3 defined by Stephen Curry's late-game theatrics. The Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors did just the same in Game 1, and the Milwaukee Bucks prompted hearts to pound and butterflies to swirl in fans' stomachs during the waning moments of a win-or-go-home Game 4. Credit the Brooklyn Nets with resilient showings in Games 3 and 4 of their series with the Atlanta Hawks too.

But none of that fleeting, momentary madness can top the sustained counterpunching that's consumed the first four games of the postseason's most captivating series to date—one that resembles a high-stakes Western Conference Finals showdown.

Labels aside, this series is just that—a conference finals-caliber exhibition of tactical warfare. While Cleveland, Golden State and Washington spent little time getting to know their opponents in the midst of smashing four-game sweeps, the Clippers and Spurs have engaged in a battle destined to go seven games and save what's been an otherwise streamlined quarterfinals display.

After the Clippers solidified a 114-105 Game 4 win, CBSSports.com's Matt Moore recounted the deadlocked contests that have turned this into a best-of-three series:

"

Clippers control Game 1, Spurs steal Game 2, Spurs dominate Game 3, Clippers control Game 4. Fun.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) April 26, 2015"

Entering Tuesday night's Game 5 (10:30 p.m. ET on TNT), there is no clear-cut favorite. Unlike every other Western Conference series, clarity is elusive.

And that's overwhelmingly positive for fans.

While it's a shame one of the West's premier title contenders will be sent packing after two weeks of postseason residency, the first round has been overrun by predictability.

But that doesn't apply to the Spurs and Clippers, whose clash has resembled a chess match more than a procedural formality.

As San Antonio pursues consecutive titles, Chris Paul and the Clippers have their sights set on the success that's been nothing more than a dream since the point guard's Hollywood debut in 2011. And if Paul's play (34 points, seven assists in Game 4) has been any indication, the Clippers are going to attack relentlessly against a Spurs team that has oscillated between appearances of unrelenting brilliance (see: Game 3) and intermittent lethargy (see: Game 1).

	Date/Time	Result	Series
Game 1	April 19	107-92 LAC	LAC 1-0
Game 2	April 22	111-107 SAS	Tied 1-1
Game 3	April 24	100-73 SAS	2-1 SAS
Game 4	April 26	114-105 LAC	Tied 2-2
Game 5	April 28, 10:30 p.m. ET	TBD	TBD
Game 6	April 30, TBD	TBD	TBD
Game 7*	May 2, TBD	TBD	TBD

"Crushing playoff losses to San Antonio forever a stain on his otherwise brilliant resume, Paul was still pushing the ball uphill against these Spurs in the fourth quarter on Sunday afternoon—still trying to dodge their jabs and roundhouses and haymakers," CBS Sports' Ken Berger wrote following Game 4. "It is a line he forever walks: euphoria on one side, disaster on the other."

A mid-range-shooting mad man, Paul has used his savvy to clock in at a team-best 23.5 points per game in the playoffs while hitting on 53.5 percent of his total looks—60 percent of which have extended beyond the free-throw line.

That kind of offensive control can put the Clippers in the driver's seat as Paul pursues the first conference finals appearance of his career, but pushing the Spurs to seven games requires top-to-bottom stability.

Blake Griffin (22.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists) has done his part—recording three double-doubles and a triple-double—while DeAndre Jordan (11.3 points, 12.8 rebounds) has provided his usual rim-crashing and shot-swatting acrobatics in the paint.

However, facilitating a changing of the guard goes beyond L.A.'s Big Three. It involves reading and reacting to the Spurs' game plan, which aims to take no prisoners with postseason survival on the line.

Take San Antonio's concerted effort to restrict J.J. Redick's effectiveness, for example.

Darren Abate/Associated Press

Even after scoring 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting in Game 4, Redick is still averaging just 12.5 points on 36.4 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from three for the series.

"They've put an emphasis on guarding me," Redick said after Game 3, according to the San Antonio Express-News' Dan McCarney, "and obviously having the Defensive Player of the Year on me is a challenge. He's a great defender. I think part of the shooting struggles is that I'm not getting easy looks. I can make tough shots, but when the majority are tough, it's harder to be patient."

If Redick can't find a rhythm, that spells troubles for the Clippers, who were 39-10 when he scored at least 15 points during the regular season.

The Spurs aren't without problems of their own, though.

While the Clippers lean on Jamal Crawford's wild shot-making and hold their breath as Austin Rivers creates off the dribble for stretches, the Spurs are searching for sources of consistency with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter all looking a step (or two, or three) slow as they battle Father Time and the wounds that accompany its arrival.

Parker's legs have looked too heavy to stay with Paul, Ginobili is shooting under 38 percent from the field, and Splitter has scored a combined eight points in four games. Sprinkle in Danny Green's 30.4 percent shooting from three, and the only constants for the Spurs have been Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Patty Mills and Boris Diaw.

But those respective medleys of ups and downs are putting the Spurs and Clippers on an inevitable track toward seven-game status.

And in this case, the thrill of uncertainty isn't just a welcome refrain—it's a necessary one.

All statistics are current as of April 28 and courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless noted otherwise.