For the first time this season, I woke up today happy I’m a fan of the Mavericks and not the Clippers.
Because, wow, what just happened to L.A.’s long-time lovable losers is painful. Much more so than Dallas’ quick playoff exit. While most of us have long since moved on from the Mavs’ five-game, first-round loss to the Rockets, the Clippers’ collapse will definitely prompt a bummer summer.
In other words, the Mavs were quickly put out of their misery. At no point in their series with Houston did we think they had a chance of advancing. Not so with the Clippers.
L.A.’s collapse was epic. It won Games 3 and 4 by 25 and 33 points to take a commanding 3-1 lead. And then in Game 6 – at home – they led by 19 in the third quarter before being outscored 40-15 in the fourth. And that, mind you, took place with Rockets’ star James Harden on the bench.
Seemingly already gutted by their blown chance and wasted lead, the Clippers were barely competitive in Sunday’s Game 7 in Houston. While the Mavs have been thinking about the 2016 season for a couple weeks, this morning in L.A. there is blame, sorrow and disbelief.
Change rosters with the Clippers? You betcha. Change emotional states with them? No thanks.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
