Report: Clippers' Chris Paul cried after Game 5 loss in OKC
Remember when the Los Angeles Clippers surrendered a seven-point lead in the final minute against the Oklahoma City Thunder? It was a while ago now, but Game 5 of that second-round series was crazy. Chris Paul made three crucial, uncharacteristic mistakes at the end of the game, and he blamed himself for the loss. Doc Rivers unleashed a tirade about the officiating. Two days later, the series and Los Angeles' season were over.
Looking back during a break on a commercial shoot, Paul told the Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch that he still thinks about it:
Paul was so devastated he cried in the locker room afterward.
Four months later, the emotional fallout lingers.
"It would be lying to you to say I'd forgotten about it," Paul said during a break on set. "It's one of those things that I don't want to forget, to tell you the truth. I think for me, I feel like you have to remember things like that and therefore you don't want that feeling again. I know I don't."
It's stating the obvious, but let's not poke fun at Paul for the crying bit. Teammate J.J. Redick cried after the Clippers were eliminated, and during the Donald Sterling fiasco it was an emotional time for the players on and off the court. They cared, so they cried. As for Paul remembering that disastrous finish, it makes sense to try to hold onto it and use it as motivation.
While Paul wouldn't directly compare it to the San Antonio Spurs' Game 6 loss against the Miami Heat in 2013, it's hard not to make that connection. Outside of his office, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich had a framed picture of the scoreboard, with San Antonio up by 13 in the third quarter. He took it down last month. Perhaps the Clippers could do something similar.
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