Basketball On The Internet.

IT'S a crying shame that one of the most memorable seven-game first round NBA playoffs in the league's storied history should come down to - literally - the last second.

Chris Paul today was magnificent for the Los Angeles Clippers as they clinched Game 7 at LA's Staples Center 111-109, eliminating the champion San Antonio Spurs, taking out Aussies Patty Mills and Aron Baynes in the process.

It is just a shame such a hard-fought, classily-played, epic series, consigned to a first round when it would have made a better Western Conference Final - Golden State notwithstanding - ultimately was marred with 1.0 seconds left as the Spurs prepared to run their potential match-and-series-saving play.

On court from the time-out, they started the play but a scoretable siren stopped it dead.

A mistake? Deliberate? Anxiousness? Calculated? Think whatever you wish. But what that scoretable error did was expose the Spurs' play to the Clippers.

It's no coincidence Matt Barnes suddenly knew he could cheat so far off sharp-shooting Marco Belinelli on the wing that he would bat away the lob pass intended for Kawhi Leonard in the middle of the key, preserving LA's victory.

But if the Spurs left with a sour taste in their mouths, they didn't show much of that in the post-game.

Asked whether seeing the play before the restart had influenced its outcome, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich replied: "Absolutely."

He didn't dwell on it though, preferring instead to congratulate the Clippers organisation for the way their team had evolved and seeming genuinely happy for them, albeit sad his own team was out.

Los Angeles coach Glen "Doc" Rivers echoed those sentiments and could not have been more effusive in his praise for the class and dignity of the Spurs and their coach, describing him as "the best coach to me, ever, or one of the top ones."

Describing it as a "series for the ages", Rivers said it was all basketball.

"There wasn't any crap, I don't know if there was a flagrant foul in the entire series.

"I'm a better person because I went through this series."

There were amazing moments throughout Game 7, Manu Ginobili drawing a backcourt shooting foul on Austin Rivers in the final seconds of the third. How often do you see that?

He made two of his three for a 78-76 lead, then Paul, hamstrung by a first quarter hamstring injury, nailed a monster 3-pointer to close the third.

There were huge shots to come from JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford and Barnes, from Tony Parker and the venerable 39-year-old Tim Duncan, whose 27 points and 11 boards were his sixth double-double in the seven-game series.

Blake Griffin produced his second triple-double of the series with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists but it was Paul, with 18 of his 27 points in the second half, including four big 3-pointers, who would not let Los Angeles lose.

Could Patty have spent more time harassing Paul, as he did way back at the Beijing Olympics?

Maybe. Parker had 20 points but was 10-of-21.

In the end, it doesn't matter. It is what it is and what it was will be remembered as one of the epic first round series of all time.

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