https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPrgDS0Rk5Q

The Clippers trailed by 16 points in the fourth quarter against a Kevin Durant playing at his All-Star, MVP best and a team that was flowing and getting its job done.

Then the offensive flow stopped. The Clippers porous defense was able to hone in on Durant and Westbrook as they went one-on-one and convert the misses into fast break opportunities. The 3-point shooting started to come around and Darren Collison, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford turned the game around for the Clippers.

Los Angeles came storming back for a 101-99 win. The Thunder were left frustrated and pointing their fingers at each other a bit as the Clippers turned the series on its head. Los Angeles gave up 40 points to Durant and 27 points to Westbrook. But no one else on Oklahoma City was able to do much more.

The Clippers took those misses right back at the Thunder. Paul had 23 points and 10 assists. Blake Griffin had 25 points. But it was Darren Collison scoring 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and Jamal Crawford adding 18 off the bench. They had the energy and the will to push their way back into the game. That was what it ultimately takes to win playoff games. The Clippers fed off of every mistake and had the patience and confidence and, most importantly, trust to come back together.

Los Angeles should count itself fortunate to be tied in this series. Oklahoma City should be frustrated that it is not up 3-1. This feels like a whole new series. Oklahoma City is capable of dominating for nearly 40 minutes. But the Clippers can stay within striking distance and put on an onslaught of points and stops if the Thunder are not careful and focused.

This is a series again.

The end is near for Portland. There is no other way around it to say this. The sweep seems to be on and the Blazers just are not in the same league as the Spurs.

San Antonio opened up a big lead once again with 60 points in the first half yet again. Portland’s bad starts have dug it a hole that the team cannot burrow itself out of. Tony Parker scored 29 points, knifing in and out of the paint with ease for the Spurs. It was the same kind of first half, killer performance that Parker has provided San Antonio throughout the series. Portland has no answer.

Yes, the Blazers cut into the 20-point lead and got it to single digits. But every run was met with a Spurs team getting back its focus and forcing the Blazers into a mistake. Portland could not get over the hump.

And while San Antonio had several major contributions off the bench, Portland played its starters more than 37 minutes with Will Barton leading the team with 11 minutes off the bench. The Blazers had just six bench points. That is not enough support.

LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews had 20-plus points each. That scoring was not enough. It will take superhuman effort from Aldridge or Lillard or some more help to get the Blazers in the same conversation with the Spurs.

They have one more chance to do that Monday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q9W5eKpqeg

The Brooklyn Nets handed the Heat their first Playoff loss of the season behind a barrage of 3-pointers and a defense that baited the Heat into mid-range jumpers that clanked off the rim time and time again. The final score was a dominant 104-90 victory that felt wider than that final margin.

The Nets hit 15 of 25 3-pointers and got good looks from beyond the arc with some breathtaking ball movement. Mirza Teletovic had 12 points on four 3-pointers and Andray Blatche scored 15 points off the bench. The effort from the Nets’ role players was absolutely critical and will remain so if the Nets want to climb back into this series. Joe Johnson’s statement that the Nets role players are better than the Heat’s might very well be true.

The real key to having any chance against Miami is slowing down LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. James dominated the first half of the game and finished with 28 points and 10 free throw attempts. In the second half though, he was content to shoot mid-range jumpers and did not attack the rim as aggressively. That slowed Miami’s offense and made it far too stagnant.

It also did not help that Miami could not force a turnover on Brooklyn. That is how the Heat best generate their offense.

It may take another superhuman shooting performance at home for the Nets to even this series up Monday night.

The Thunder took a 2-1 series lead with a gutsy 118-112 win over the Clippers at Staples Center on Friday night. Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Russell Westbrook took over the game late for 23 points and 13 assists. Oklahoma City and Los Angeles played within eight points of each other the entire game with the Thunder finally taking an eight-point lead late in the game.

Los Angeles could not get over the hump at the end and make the defensive stops to make the game tight. Every Clippers score was answered in kind by the Thunder, whether it was Kevin Durant pulling up for a jumper or Westbrook aggressively attacking the rim or pulling up for three. This was one of Oklahoma City’s best offensive performances of the postseason.

Blake Griffin had 34 points, Chris Paul had 21 points and Jamal Crawford added 20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zbZeHleUsE

What more needs to be said? The Pacers came, they shut the Wizards down and they regained home court advantage.

Washington shot just 32.9 percent and barely broke 60 points, scoring 63 in the 85-63 loss. The Wizards had the lead in the first quarter and then slowly watched their shots continue to miss and the Pacers continue to build more and more confidence.

Roy Hibbert put in another solid game with 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Paul George had 23 points to lead the Pacers. Bradley Beal had 16 points and John Wall had 15 points for the Wizards, who fall behind 2-1 in the series and cede home court advantage to the Pacers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8az3TWHQuk

The Heat were not having any of the Nets in Game Two. A late possession was actually four that demoralized and crushed the Nets. Ray Allen dug out a rebound, Dwyane Wade tipped out another rebound, Chris Bosh chased down another one. Sure LeBron James needed four attempts to get that one make, but the nearly two minutes Miami took off the clock had to destroy any confidence Brooklyn might have had left as the team mucked up this game and gave itself a chance.

The Heat were just better in a 94-82 victory.

James scored 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting and Allen added 13 points off the bench. Chris Bosh scored 18 for Miami. The Nets kept things close, but not close enough. Eventually the Heat pulled away.

Brooklyn certainly could have used a little bit more from Deron Williams. Williams put up a goose egg, missing all nine of his shots. Six assists and seven rebounds saved the former All Star from Roy Hibbert territory.

Mirza Teletovic kept things spaced with 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc. That was about all you could say about the Brooklyn offense. Bogged down by Miami’s defense, but not committing the turnovers, Miami could not get itself going offensively.

Not until Ray Allen came alive in the second half and things settled down. Even a six-point lead seemed too much and the Heat slowly pulled away at the end for a 2-0 lead.