NBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Clippers knock out defending champions San Antonio Spurs

A last-second brace by Chris Paul guided Los Angeles Clippers to the second round Playoffs.

Defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs were sent packing by a determined Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of the first-round playoffs. In a game that kept the spectators on the tenterhooks till the last second, Clippers surged ahead with a 111-109 win against the Spurs, to seal a spot in the second round.

The fate of the match was literally sealed in the last second when Chris Paul made a running jump to give Clippers a win, when the game was tied at 109 points each.

The Spurs were five points ahead at 97-92, with five minutes and forty second left in the game before Clippers levelled the scores with two free throws and a three-pointer by J J Reddick.

Chris Paul, who with his star turn in the last second, emerged as Los Angeles Clippers’ saviour, was, in fact, in danger of not playing the entire match after pulling his hamstring in the first quarter.

The Spurs, who have won five NBA Championships, the defeat came as a severe blow. However, Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich opined that not all was lost. "In this situation, one of us goes to Houston and one of us goes on vacation; We'd each rather go to Houston, but vacation is not terrible. A lot of people have it a lot tougher than us. If those are your two choices in life, you should shut up and just live”, he said.

The Clippers now head to Houston where they will begin their second-round playoffs against the Houston Rockets.