Clippers vs Thunder Game 6 Pick

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Game 6

Thursday 10:30 EST

May 15, 2014

Line: Los Angeles Clippers -5 (Subject to change. Check up-to-date odds at Bovada)

Chris Paul went from hero to goat in a matter of seconds.

While the final 11 seconds of Game 5 will forever live in infamy, it will forever be Paul’s worst 45-second stretch of his career that could very well haunt the Los Angeles Clippers for an entire off-season. After seemingly having Tuesday’s Game 5 in hand and blowing a 13-point lead with four minutes left, the Clippers must survive Thursday night’s game in order to live another day.

Now the team that’s been accustomed to dealing with controversy off the court, had been dealt a controversial blow on the court. Not knowing if they’ll be able to recover, the Clippers must find a way to get over this crushing defeat. There were several reasons the Clippers blew the lead in the closing minutes, but what matters most is that the Clippers must find a way to respond; otherwise their season is over.

Based on NBA history, their season is all but over. If a series is tied at 2-2, the winner of Game 5, has won the series 83% of the time. In this case, that would be the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why wouldn’t they be up 3-2? Since you have to figure after Sunday’s miracle win by the Clippers that the Oklahoma City Thunder were due for a miracle of their own. Right?

Well, fair or foul, they got it.

So with the chance to wrap up the series Thursday night, this game isn’t going to be determined by the play of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who have been simply outstanding game after game. In Game 5, Durant scored 10 of his 27 points in the final 3:23 after shooting 3 for 17 through three quarters.

After Westbrook missed a 3-pointer that would have won Game 4, he got his chance at redemption, and didn’t miss this time around. Finishing with 38 points, including 23 in the second half, these two superstars will once again show up in Game 6. Don’t expect anything less, but this game is going to be decided not by their play, but by the mental toughness of the Clippers.

For the entire postseason, they have showed the fortitude to respond to a controversy that has shaped the future of the Clippers franchise forever. But after blowing a seven-point lead with 49.2 seconds to play, the Clippers understand what that loss could potentially mean if they don’t win another game this series. They must also realize that this series is far from over despite being down 3-2. There’s no doubt the Clippers have been knocked down, but we’ll see if they have the strength to get back up.

Although the Clippers’ second-round series could end in Game 6, there’s still a Hollywood ending that needs to be filmed. And in case you didn’t know, production starts Thursday. While I do believe a Game 7 will be played, the Clippers will find a way to win Game 6, but the Thunder will also find a way to keep it close.

My Pick: Thunder +5