48 minutes.

Not 40. Not 42. Not 46.

In the NBA if you don’t play every minute of playoff basketball with untempered enthusiasm and smarts, you could be prone to the pitfalls of history. And not the good kind.

It was 95-71 with 8 minutes remaining, the Grizzlies had the lead. And then Rudy Gay got into the lane, stopped, and hoisted up one last shot which clanked cruely off the front of the rim, and Eric Bledsoe, got the ball, threw it up in the air, and the Los Angeles Clippers bench came flying onto the court, soaking in the remnants of one of the more remarkable comebacks in sports history.

What. Just. Happened?

Every great comeback needs fuel, and the Clippers triggered their remarkable run from nowhere with 5 big-time threes, turning a deficit that was once as large as 27, into a shocking (and I mean shocking) win. Kenny Smith compared it to panicking when the house is on fire. To further the analogy, this was George Costanza running out twice in the infamous Bozo the clown Seinfeld episode. This was a complete implosion.

The Grizzlies were up by as many as 20 in a furious 1st quarter ignited by 3s. And they continued to hold their lead, belting it out to 27. Caron Butler hurt, the Grizzlies appeared on their way to coasting to an easy win.

And then, the wheels fell off. The car skidded out of control, and the Clippers finished first in a race that they were being lapped.

How did L.A. pull it off? Watch the highlights and you’ll see a flurry of open court points, that quickly monsoon-ed into a mammoth run, and by the time Memphis attempted to recover, they were drowning in their own mistakes. The Clippers outscored the Grizz 28-3 down the stretch, and as the lead dwindled, you could feel the tension and see the lack of movement. Add it all up, and you get a historic collapse/comeback, the likes we haven’t seen since the 2002 Boston Celtics shocked the Nets.

Almost 10 years ago, on May 25th, Boston charged back from a remarkable 21 point deficit to beat New Jersey. Yet, the Nets responded with 3 straight wins to take the series. So who knows, maybe this is just a blip.

Or maybe it’s a giveway that the Grizzlies will long rue, should this series turn on this comeback.

We shall see. For those who watched the end of this one, you really had to see to believe.

We just wanted to publish that sentence.  It’s real!  It’s really, really real!

Immediate thoughts:

- Bill Simmons must be jumping up and down right now.  I know he’s a Celtics fan, but for years he’s publicized the fact that he’s held on to his Clipper season tickets.  Well, what do you know, those tickets just became a pretty hot item.  I’m sure he’ll have a massive 9,000 word article on this story by tomorrow.

- Chris Paul comes to Los Angeles not as a Laker, but as a Clipper. He wanted to be a Laker, but as you may have heard, the NBA didn’t like that trade.  So now he goes to the other Staples Center tenant, the red, white, and blue.  Aw yes, America’s team: the Los Angeles Clippers. They’re actually worth watching! For the first time since their scintillating 2006 NBA Playoffs run, which ended in a terrific series versus the Seven Second or Less Suns, the Clippers appear to have a bright future. The key word being, appear. As for that ‘06 team, they were 47-35 (their highest finish since the team left Buffalo) and a 6 seed.  That’s their best finish since moving to LA! So, yeah, they should be better now.

- The NBA aliented their fans, baffled the media, and probably aged David Stern 10 years during this past week or so, but in the end they got the best deal out there.  The NBA wanted a young stud: Insert Eric Gordon.  Check.  The NBA wanted a nice expiring contract: Insert Chris Kaman. Check.  The NBA wanted some other pieces, so they also got the Clips to throw in Al-Farouq Aminu and that critical unprotected #1 pick from Minnesota. Taken as a whole you’re left with a deal chalk full of youth, building blocks, and a pick that could materialize into a star.  Minnesota, you’re on the clock, New Orleans is watching you.

- This deal is not a slam dunk — YET.  Chris Paul has only committed to staying for 2 years and nothing more.  If the Clips screw this up, or if Paul gets hurt (he has been injury prone) or if Blake Griffin can’t stay healthy, or if any of these players remember that they’re playing for the Clippers, not Lakers, then this could blow up in Los Angeles’ face.  It’s a risk, but a good one for Los Angeles.  The Lakers are in disarray, so like the Angels did to the Dodgers, the Clips decided to make a big move.  A statement move.  A razzle dazzle, must see move that will create almost as much buzz with the Clippers (who do have more than just Blake Griffin (or so I’ve heard)) as there is with the Lakers.

- Here’s a crazy thought: as of right now, the Clippers have a brighter future than the Lakers.  I know LA has Kobe, but Kobe’s got a lot of tread on those tires.  The Clippers have a nucleus.  The Lakers have a circus.  I’d still take the Lake Show right now, but wait a year or two and the world might be upside down in Tinseltown.

- It’s over.  Seriously, the madness has ended. Chris Paul has to be thrilled this fiasco is over.  No matter how rich you are or how set for life you may be, we all like stability.  Paul was like a human ragdoll this past week, as the NBA shopped him around to the ‘highest bidder.’

- Yet another reason to watch Christmas games. As if the schedule wasn’t juicy enough, now we get Paul’s debut with the Clips as the nightcap of an epic NBA season opener, when LA travels to Mark Jackson’s Golden State Warriors.  I’m telling ya: I’m all in favor of the NBA doing this 66 game schedule every year and opening the season on Christmas. You trim the fat, and you get to open on a day all to yourself. I think it’s worth considering, even if it is unlikely to actually happen.

SCOTT JACOBS

From the people who brought you The Bachelorette, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol comes a special so big, it literally may stop the world.  Look out Truman Show, The LeBron show is coming to a city near you.  Live on the Worldwide Leader of O No they Didn’t Programming.

But yes they did.  And yes they can.  And yes they will.  ESPN has won the rights to broadcast a 1 hour special of the most mind blowingly over-hyped free agency decision since Moses managed to part the Red Sea. Yes, on Thursday July 8th (cue dramatic music, dim the lights), ESPN will bring you a show unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.  One man.  Basketball player by day.  Superhero by night. He has replaced Chuck Norris and that guy from the Dos Equis commercial as the most interesting annoying man in the world. He put the city of Akron on the map and high school basketball on national TV.  He co-authored a poorly written book with Buzz Bissinger, and has yet to win an NBA championship.  In one day he has more Twitter followers than you will ever have in your life.  Introducing number 23, errr… excuse me, introducing number 6 LeBron “I want to be a billionaire so freaking bad” James!

It will be drama unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Will he choose Cleveland?  Chicago?  Miami?  New Jersey?  New York?  Guadalajara, Mexico?  The Clippers?  The answer will be revealed.

How will he do it?  Will he don a hat with that team’s colors, prompting an exclusive NBA Free agency hat collection to further broaden his image?  Or will he put on that team’s jersey?  Will their be a patch to commemorate this historic moment? Will the announcement also be on Youtube, and shortly re-aired on ESPN Classic?  You can only find out if you tune in.

While other players get a press conference, we’re giving LeBron the whole world.  Wars will stop.  Babies will stay tucked in the womb.  Drive by shootings will cease for one hour.  The cure for cancer will be found.  We’re talking bigger than Titantic and World War II combined.  Israel and Palestine will rest peacefully as the King makes up his mind.  People will get out of their cars in the middle of the street to wait for the siren on which town was picked. All babies that were supposed to be born within the 1 hour exclusive special will be named Le-whatever.  It will truly be a day unlike anything man kind has ever witnessed.

The planets will stop orbiting.  Global warming (if you believe in that kind of stuff) will stop happening.  Tim Burton will cast a movie without (gasp) Johnny Depp.

The President will stop whatever he is doing to gather everyone in the Oval Office to watch his announcement.

David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Jon Stewart will be subsituted with the press and given 30 minutes to ask any ridiculous questions they want.  It will be must see Le-TV.

ESPN, like Dade County will change their name, only their’s won’t be Wade County.  It will be LESPN.

All website chatter will freeze, wth the planet’s communication lines stopped until mighty Le-Savior makes his mind.

So tune in on Thursday when one rich, spoiled, obnoxiously over-publicized soon to be billionaire gets richer and destroys the hopes and dreams of 5 other cities in the process.

Who will he choose?  The phone lines are open now.

Photo: AP

ASH McDANIEL

Welcome sports fans to my first ever post on Juiced Sports. I’ve wanted to write here for awhile now and finally have the time to get on and get started. First let’s cover all the basics: I’m a Fort Lauderdale native who spent the majority of my childhood in the perpetual state of trying to forget the past season of Miami sports and frying like an egg at Joe Robbie Stadium. I guess you could say that sports have always been there for me and I cheered in the stands (or on my couch) every chance I could. Now I’m interning for ESPN’s daily hit show Pardon the Interruption. 

My blog here will be devoted to my sports experiences and my plight as an unpaid intern working with two of the greats: Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon.

The other day I was cutting a story about the NBA Draft Lottery when it hit me: We spend so much time on the unimportant and more uneventful moments in sports (in this case the lottery for the draft) that we sometimes focus too much on strategy and not enough on the substance of the game. ESPN even added to my troubles when Hannah Storm did a segment on ESPN during the day where she had a mock lotto and pulled out ping pong balls from what looked like a clothing hamper.

Yes, the lottery is important. Without it greats like LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Yao Ming wouldn’t be where they are today. But, is it really necessary for ESPN to have coverage of it days before, to talk about it constantly the day of, and for little interns like me to sit in a booth and cut up video clips for a minute and 30 second segment on it? I think no.

I know that the NBA lottery is no comparison to the actual draft and even that looks like a quiet tea party compared to how ESPN hypes up the NFL draft. But you have to wonder why sports broadcasting and sports writers devote some much time to something that you don’t see immediate results for.

I thought Wilbon and TK did a great job covering the event in their segment because they talked about how the teams with the most need and the most chances to get the first spot are normally not picked first in the order. But I even wonder if that is all that newsworthy.

You have to wonder why sports broadcasting and sports writers devote some much time to something that you don’t see immediate results for

I do look at the alternatives and it could have been worse—another story on Mark Cuban and his endless need to fight with everyone or even worse, Brett Favre’s ever-changing saga of retirement or returning to the NFL. But there was a lot we missed in yesterday’s news—extra hockey coverage (I say this because I feel the NBA playoffs get more coverage, but that’s a whole other post there), Brian Grant’s announcement that he has Parkinson’s, Papi’s return to the Sox line-up, or Clayton Kershaw’s near no-hitter through eight innings that came out to be a four hit game which I still think is pretty impressive.

Again some coverage is needed; after all, it is the job of the sportswriter to report on what’s happening. But long segments and the mock lotteries that ESPN does are truly pointless. Give more time to things that matter and Hannah next time leave the ping pong balls at home.

Photo: AP

SCOTT JACOBS

You ever look at a real story, and scroll down to the bottom of the page to make sure it’s not a joke?

I kind of did that today.

After reading that former General Manager Elgin Baylor is suing the Clippers, the team he helped build and ultimately run into the ground (over, and over, and over again), I had to  clean my glasses, and make sure that what I was reading was actually a legitimate news story.  Because Elgin Baylor suing the Clippers has to be the most hilarious lawsuit in recent memory.  I’m sorry Elgin if you come across this article while Googling yourself, but are you freaking kidding me?

The Clippers were one of the worst teams in the history of pro sports when you were GM for them, posting just three playoff seasons in 22 years!  How you lasted even a decade is beyond anyone’s comprehension.  How you lasted over two decades at the top of the garbage mountain that is the Clippers is simply unexplainable.  Even the Lions came to their senses with Matt Millen, and we thought seven years was long!

Apparently when Baylor resigned last year it wasn’t because of constant ridicule that he was a crappy GM.  Nope apparently, the former NBA great had a beef with how the Clippers treated him, claiming that they discriminated against his age (him being old I guess?), his race (african american), and that he was “grossly underpaid.”

Seriously, stop laughing now.  This is a real lawsuit, and it’s a serious one at that.

From the L.A. Times:

Baylor alleges in a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles that team owner Donald Sterling has embraced a “vision of a Southern plantation-type structure” for his NBA franchise, accusing him of decades-long racist behavior.

There’s nothing funny about that paragraph, and it disgusts me that we still live in a world where this happens, or where people perceive that this is happening to them.

Alleging that Sterling, long perceived to be one of the worst owners in pro sports, treated his franchise like a plantation in the South is beyond sick, it’s repulsively out of line.  And let’s say for a minute that Baylor is maybe telling the truth: why would he have stayed perfectly quiet about this for 22 years if he was being treated like a ’slave?’  Who would possibly stay mum on something like that?

Further damning his credibility is that he was in a position of power as their general manager, and that he’s a NBA Hall of Famer.  This isn’t Joe Nobody we’re talking about.  Baylor was a major somebody.  The idea that he could be disrespected so horribly doesn’t make any sense?  The idea that he was grossly underpaid as messed up as this sounds, almost sounds fair, considering how awful the teams he constructed were.

“It’s hard to believe that he would now make these ridiculous claims after the organization stood by him during 22 years and only three playoff appearances,” said Clippers team attorney Robert H. Platt.  “It would be hard to find any sports team that has demonstrated greater loyalty to its general manager.”

And I couldn’t agree more.  The Clippers had top 10 picks year in and year out for decades, and could never build around them and create winning teams.  Remember Michael Olowakandi?  He was one of the many Clipper draft busts that graced the seemingly cursed Clippers franchise.  How about Shaun Livingston?  He was going to be the next Magic, and then a devesatating injury derailed what looked like a promising career. And not all of those things were Baylor’s faults.  But it’s an accident if it happens once, a concern if it happens twice, and a pattern of misery if it keeps happening year after year.

Apparently Baylor was only paid $350,000 at the most during his time with the Clippers, which does on the surface seem low for a high profile NBA job. However, three playoff trips in 22 years shouldn’t get you a bonus.  It shouldn’t even allow you to keep your job.  What it should do is get you kicked to the curb.

So Elgin, if you’re listening, I sure as hell hope you know what you’re doing.  These are serious claims you’re putting on the Clippers franchises, and rumor has it, they have enough problems as it is.  For a man who tried to ‘help’ build them a winner for over two decades this can’t possibly help them, or their reputation.

It’s a bizarre story, and one that is worth following as more details become available.  One thing’s for sure, if you thought it couldn’t get worse for the Clippers and their sorry franchise, well once again, you’ve been proven wrong.

Championships for the Lakers.  Lawsuits and further misery and ridicule for that other L.A. team.

What’s new?  Well, nothing really.

LA Times article: Elgin Baylor sues Clippers, claiming rascism
Photo: AP Photo by Reed Saxon

SCOTT JACOBS

Elton Brand opted out of his contract on Monday, giving him the freedom to parade his services around the league like Paris Hilton does at high function parties. But as soon as he broke the bond between very good player and unbelievably awful team, Brand said something few ever say. Unless they get paid. Like a lot.

“It definitely doesn’t mean I’m leaving the Clippers,” said Brand. “We’re trying to work it out. My intention is to stay.”

No one wants to be a Clipper. Not really good players. Except Brand for some reason. He seems happy living in LA, and living the oblivious life, while of course getting paid handsomely. Well, he has a reason to stay. A $65 million blur that would sure make a nice little sidekick.

Baron Davis is a Clipper. Yup, it’s true. Don’t scratch your eyes, don’t search for a stronger prescription, everything you’re reading is true. Davis, who brought back the run till you drop Warriors from irrelevant and boring, to exciting and high scoring, is taking his crazy beard to Hollywood. To play for the Clippers.

How ironic. Just two days before July 4th, an American signs for ludicrous money with a rich pro team that wears red, white, and blue. Now I remember why we celebrate our independence!

But this is big. No huge. No, no, I’m not claiming the Clippers are next in line to get to the Finals. No, that’s not it at all. Instead, the Clippers might actually be, uh, how do you put this without sounding crazy? O yeah, good. Yeah, the word least associated with anything about LA’s other team can finally be applied. If of course Brand stays true to his word, and does re-ink with the team he’s flourished with.

Merely less then a week after celebrating their Clipperization of the lottery, aka: 20 draft picks in the lottery since they instituted the thing not too long ago, the LA Clippers, the team named from a boat, is about to land the most intriguing fish in the free agent sea.

29 year old Baron Davis.

Like everything, there is a risk with the signing. Davis’ health. Why else would New Orleans have traded him a few years ago. He was a dynamite player then, but just could not stay healthy. Nowadays, he’s still a very good player, and he helped the Warriors pull off one of the most fun upsets in NBA Playoff history, when they took down the 1 seed Mavs in 2007.

So what are the Warriors thinking? Well, they’re probably pretty shocked. It’s like a guy breaking up with a pregnant Jessica Alba to be with Kristy Allen. Unexpected, but hey, crazier things have happened.

He’s fast, he’s gritty, he’s not afraid of anyone, and he has a handle on the rock like few else in the league. Once lighting quick, Davis is still quick on his feet and a relentless force on the court. He’s a leader and a fighter, and he doesn’t back down from nobody. He’s EXACTLY what the Clippers have lacked for… o who are we kidding, forever.

Sam Cassell was that guy, to a much lesser extent. But he was old, pricey, and declining. Davis hasn’t even galloped to 30 yet. And if he can stay healthy, no one will care that he’s getting 13 million dollars a year to make the Clips relevant.

Davis, you might remember put the final nail in the coffin for why the league needed instant replay, when in a playoff game years back against the Magic, he threw up a prayer 3 pointer that went in before time expired, before the refs decided he didn’t get it off in time.

Now he’s got a chance to do something bigger. Fit a square peg in a round hole. The Clippers had their one surprise season back in 2006 when they took the Phoenix Suns to a seventh game in the second round. But this move gives them a chance, dare I say it, to be consistent.

The west is loaded. No one’s denying that. No one’s pushing the Lakers off of their Hollywood throne, not after they became very relevant again. But this move is big. The Clippers haven’t been this interesting since they tried prying Kobe from the Lakers.

This time, they actually succeeded in landing their man. And Davis, make no mistake about it, still has a lot in the tank. The former UCLA standout averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game last year, but more importantly: he played all 82 games.

Imagine: a healthy Davis with Brand, Al Thornton, and Chris Kaman (aka: the guy who everybody thinks is a real caveman) and all of a sudden the Clips look pretty good. In fact, after a dreadful season in which everyone got hurt, and Cassell got bought out, LA looked doomed to another decade of laughs and giggles (at their expense of course).

But this changes that.

This changes the west, where 9 very good teams, becomes potentially 10? Maybe 11? At least on paper at least. The Clips, with a healthy and re-signed Brand will have a very nice mix with two big men down low, and a young guy in Thornton who knows how to put the ball in the hole.

So what are the Warriors thinking? Well, they’re probably pretty shocked. It’s like a guy breaking up with a pregnant Jessica Alba to be with Kristy Allen. Unexpected, but hey, crazier things have happened.

But Golden State isn’t exactly frozen in their footsteps. Immediately after losing the face of their revived franchise, G-State offered Agent Zero, Gilbert Arenas a max deal. Wow, imagine that: you replace one injury prone star with another younger injury prone star. I guess the Warriors wouldn’t exactly complain if Arenas bolted for the rowdiest fans in the NBA and Oracle Arena.

Maybe this supposedly dull off-season that was envisioned won’t be so dull after all.

In fact, this is exciting stuff. Though it will be sad to see the pilot of Golden State’s lightning quick attack bolting across the state, it will be very interesting to see how Davis does with the NBA’s so called cursed franchise.

And if his replacement is indeed Arenas, then I’d say the NBA’s Pacific Division just became the most intriguing division in the league.

Think about the story lines for 2008-09, months before tip-off.

*How will Kobe and the Lakers do with a healthy Andrew Bynum joining the fray?
*How will the Suns respond with an entire season and off season to integrate Shaq into the mix?
*What will the Kings do, now that Ron Artest regrets not opting out of deal?
*How good can the Clippers be with Davis and Brand in the fold?
*What will Golden State (with six key free agents still) look like come opening night?

That’s just one division.

Thanks Clippers. You may not win a championship with Brand. But you just won back my respect. And let’s face it, love him or hate him, you can’t help but respect what Davis brings to the table every time he takes the floor.

As far as the NBA goes, we could use a lot more guys like him.

Now the Clippers have him!