Chris Paul leads Clippers to thrilling comeback victory over Thunder in Game 4
The game looked all but over with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
With two defenders draped over him, Thunder forward Kevin Durant sank a 19-foot fall-away jumper which gave Oklahoma City a 15-point edge over Los Angeles. A frustrated Clippers head coach Doc Rivers turned to a curious strategy - shift Clippers guard Chris Paul onto Durant and pair him with guard Darren Collison.
Cue the comeback.
Over the final 10 minutes of the game, the Clippers outscored the Thunder 36-19. Collison scored 12 points over that time, mostly via leak-outs while the Thunder lost track of the speeding point guard.
The Thunder had a chance to win the game at the buzzer. Thunder guard Russell Westbrook took a pull-up 25-point three-point attempt in transition, but his attempt clanked off the rim, and teammate Serge Ibaka's tip attempt came well after the buzzer. The Clippers emerged victorious, netting a 101-99 point victory in Game 4.
The Clippers were led in scoring by power forward Blake Griffin's 25, while point guard Chris Paul chipped in with 23 points. The Thunder were led by Durant and Westbrook, who scored 40 and 27 points respectively in the loss.
With the win, the Clippers tied their Western Conference semifinal series with the Thunder at 2-2.
Largest comebacks in last 5 postseasons (ELIAS)
27pts LAC @ MEM 4/29/12
24 SAS @ LAC 5/19/12
23 POR v. DAL 4/23/11
22 LAC v. OKC today
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) May 11, 2014
Star Performer
Although he was outscored by Durant, Chris Paul's stat-stuffing line of 23 points, 10 assists, five assists and four steals ultimately led his team to victory.
In particular, Paul's defense on Durant, who is nearly a foot taller than him, confused the Thunder's offense. The move allowed the Clippers to employ two point guards to guard the Westbrook-Durant pick-and-roll, which traded height for speed to great effect.
Paul finished as the best Clippers starter in terms of plus-minus, as the point guard was a +11 in his 45 minutes played on Sunday.
Turning Point
With 1:23 left in the third quarter, Rivers decided to insert Collison into the lineup as part of a small-ball unit. He went on to play the remainder of the game.
The move paid off, as Collison managed to score 14 points down the stretch, including the game-winning basket on a streaking lay-up attempt with 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Highlight Reel
Ibaka takes a shot at Blake Griffin
Ibaka invites Paul and Jordan to his block party
But DeAndre gets his revenge
Westbrook's game-winning attempt rims out
Adorable Clippers fan is very excited
Quotes of the Night
"Russell Westbrook is playing the point guard position the way it's supposed to be played." - Magic Johnson
— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2014
Clippers have been involved in each of last 3 20-point comebacks in playoffs ... they've won 2 of them, including this one vs Thunder
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 11, 2014
Doc Rivers after the game: "I need a beer."
— NBA Legion (@MySportsLegion) May 11, 2014
Series at a Glance
Game 1: LAC 122, OKC 105 (Clippers lead series 1-0)
Game 2: OKC 112, LAC 101 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: OKC 118, LAC 112 (Thunder lead series 2-1)
Game 4: LAC 101, OKC 99 (Series tied 2-2)
Game 5: Tuesday, May 13 - TBD
Game 6*: Thursday, May 15 - TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, May 18 - TBD