The Finals: Spurs accomplish sweep of Lakers in historic all-west Finals (4-0).

With its bitter seven-game defeat in the Western Conference Finals still in mind, the Los Angeles Lakers hit the Spurs with a haymaker early in Game 1, having downed the Philadelphia 76ers in a seven-game war all its own to prevent Ben Simmons & co from a third straight Finals appearance. By the end of this year's Finals, however, the Lakers would receive the same treatment in a four-game ouster.

Game 1: A 24-24 stalemate was the result early in Game 1, as the Spurs weathered the storm solely due to on-fire shooting by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6-9 3PT). KCP would cool off at 22 points on the night, sparking the Spurs to a blowout victory in tandem with Fred VanVleet, who notched a career-best 34 points on an even better 7 made shots from long range. Anthony Davis had 24 points, 17 rebounds. LeBron James scored 19 points with 8 assists, but his teammates failed to hit open shots. Jrue Holiday & Derrick Rose shot a combined 3-21 in Game 1. Steven Adams had 16 rebounds, with Dwight Howard's 12 points & 7 boards.

It was the 3rd Quarter that belonged to the Spurs, 32-23 and then the dam split open in the 4th Quarter, 33-19, as the Spurs rolled to a 121-96 home win to go up 1-0 over the Lakers. Ingram had 19 points, with 14 points & 9 assists by Dejounte Murray. JaVale McGee had 9 points, 9 rebounds. Andre Drummond crashed in 15 rebounds with 5 blocks. San Antonio led by 29 points, after nearly succumbing to a 9-PT hole early.

Game 2 became ugly early for the Lakers, falling into a 27-15 hole. The Lakers had a putrid 17 turnovers as the Spurs led by 27 at one point, winning 92-104 after some second half signs of life by the visiting team. Brandon Ingram had 22 points. Evan Fournier scored fifteen. Andre Drummond had 18 rebounds with 13 points. Dejounte Murray scored 12 points. For LA, Anthony Davis poured in 29 points with 16 rebounds. But LeBron James had a bad shooting night for just 12 points. Steven Adams notched 15 rebounds. Jrue Holiday also scored twelve in the loss.

Game 3 felt like deja-vu as STAPLES Center went dead quiet, mostly after a 36-17 beating by the Spurs in the 1st Quarter. The 4th Quarter was ugly, too, as the Spurs won that 36-22 to go up 3-0, 123-88. Anthony Davis had 22 points, but LeBron James had a bad night scoring the ball again, double-teamed by the Spurs.

Anthony Davis was strong for the Lakers.

 San Antonio held the Lakers below 100 points in all three first games of the Finals, with Game 3 belonging to the supernova spectacle by Brandon Ingram (42 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block). Ingram shot 17/33, hitting a trio of shots from deep territory. KCP had 19 points with 7 assists. Andre Drummond had 14 rebounds with 11 points. Fred VanVleet scored 12. For the Lakers, they made just 2/14 3PT attempts, trailing by 35 points at one moment. The Spurs had 37 assists, putting LA on the brink of elimination.

Game 4 saw a rally for the ages, a small redemption for the Lakers. They trailed 62-81 heading into the final period, and King James finally stepped it up en route to 32 points. The Spurs had led largely for most of the game, as KCP poured in 20 points. Brandon Ingram had 24 points, but it was Dejounte Murray that seized the championship tonight for the Spurs. Anthony Davis had 26 points, with 15 points & 6 assists by Fred VanVleet. Andre Drummond had 16 rebounds & 12 points.

The Lakers rallied to within 92-95, as 1:50 remained on their season. J.J. Redick finally hit a 3PTer on the fast break, giving the Lakers a 2-PT lead, threatening a Game 5, but then it was Murray's moment: a powerful dunk past Steven Adams, drawing the foul to seize the advantage once again. Murray buried the free throw to cap off 22 points. Jrue Holiday missed a 3PT shot on the other end, and with time running out, fouled Fred VanVleet who buried two free throws. The Lakers called timeout, with their season dangling in the wind.

Fortune favored the Spurs in a wild sequence that would end the NBA Finals: J.J. Redick missed his 3PTer, but Anthony Davis came through for the Lakers, dunking the ball back home. They had to foul Murray, who split free throws. Redick got another look out of a timeout, but misfired. Again, AD got the offensive rebound, dishing the ball out to LeBron James, who missed a contested 3PT shot. Adams tipped the rebound back out to James, with the clock expiring as the final hail mary 3PT attempt...missed again.

"It's no good! The Spurs are NBA Champions for a historic 12th consecutive time!"

Losing Game 4, 105-102, LeBron James took the high ground and embraced Brandon Ingram, your Finals MVP for the 3rd straight year. Ingram averaged 25.5ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.3apg, 1.5bpg on 41% shooting from 3PT territory. The Spurs have now tied the Lakers & Celtics for 17 all-time NBA Championships.

Spurs eviscerate Clippers to close out series, 90-127 (4-1).

The Spurs blew Game 5 open in the 2nd Quarter, 35-26, then broke the spirit of the Clippers by dominating the 4th Quarter, 39-23. San Antone ultimately won by a mountainous 37 points to clinch the Western Conference crown, the second time over the Clippers like last season's end.

In defeat, Rudy Gobert had 18 rebounds with 14 points, but the story of the night was a cold 13 points by Kawhi Leonard, his tank empty after his heroic Game 4 performance. Paul George had 13 points, also, but shot 6-18. Patrick Beverley had 5 turnovers, with 5 coming by George/Leonard.

The blowout was due to stellar perimeter scoring by the Spurs, hitting 17 threes to just 3 by the Clippers.

Dejounte Murray had 23 points with 3 steals. Brandon Ingram scored 21 points, 8 rebounds & 5 assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope notched 20 points, hitting four threes. Andre Drummond beast-moded his way to 17 points, 20 rebounds with 3 blocks. Evan Fournier combined with P.J. Tucker for 28 points, hitting six threes together. Fred VanVleet had 3 steals. Alex Caruso scored 8 points, hitting two threes of his own.

Leonard wills Clippers to 103-112 comeback, survive Game 4 (3-1).

Some things just aren't meant to be and no matter what the Spurs tried to do, Kawhi Leonard would not let the Clippers season end tonight. The Claw poured in 40 points, sneaking 4 steals also (17-26 FG%, 0 turnovers), willing the Clippers to a moral victory tonight. The scoring was insanely close: 25-21 (SA), 25-22 (LA), 32-23 (LA), 33-34 (LA), with the 3rd Quarter pushing the Spurs up against the wall.

Leonard was a solo soldier mostly, with just 16 points coming from an 0-4 3PT effort by Paul George. Rudy Gobert had 17 rebounds. Patrick Bevlerly dished 10 assists. In the loss, Evan Fournier had 26 points, the same as Brandon Ingram (8 rebounds). Fred VanVleet scored 15 points, hitting five threes and having chances to nail a dagger here and there, but it was not to be. Dejounte Murray struggled, going 2-8, with 10 points, 4 fouls & 2 turnovers. KCP shot just 2-8 from long distance, notching 10 points. Andre Drummond had 19 rebounds, with 7 mighty blocks, but had 4 fouls.

The good news is that the Spurs return home for Game 5.

Clippers fall by a hair at home, 101-96 (3-0).

The Spurs came in ready to win Game 3 and put a strangehold on the Western Conference Title, and they were successful. A much closer affair than the first two games, the Spurs narrowly won the 2nd quarter and got an 8-PT advantage in the 3rd Quarter to hold on for the win.

In the loss, Kawhi Leonard had 22 points. Paul George scored 18 points, but shot just 6-15. Demarre Carroll had 12, and Gobert grabbed 16 boards.

In the impressive victory, Brandon Ingram had 27 points & 7 rebounds. Dejounte Murray played strong with 24 points. KCP had 15 points, with 14 coming from Fournier & 10 points by VanVleet. In the middle, Drummond had 17 rebounds.

San Antonio rolls to Game 2 win, 103-112 (2-0).

Had the Clippers made more than three 3PT shots, they maybe could've taken Game 2 (3/15 3PT), but the Spurs shot 42% from long range and fended off a stronger Clippers resistance.

San Antonio won the 1st Quarter, 20-29, and the second quarter, 31-23. LA won both second half quarters, but it wasn't enough with just 12 points coming from Paul George, not much help for Kawhi Leonard's 27 points. Rudy Gobert did have 22 impressive rebounds for LA in the losing effort.

For the Spurs, Brandon Ingram came to play with 30 points & 9 rebounds. Dejounte Murray dished a stunning 14 assists & 19 points, hitting three shots from long range. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 18 points, with 14 coming from Evan Fournier. Andre Drummond crushed the paint with 26 rebounds, 3 steals & 2 blocks with 7 nice assists.

The Spurs bench also played well, with Tucker, McGee & Samanic totaling 14 points along with 11 by Fred VanVleet.

Spurs easily down Clippers, 93-100 (1-0).

Luka Samanic had a career-high 20 points as the Spurs won the first half, 62-41, controlling the Clippers smoothly despite a 34-16 late push by LA during garbage time.

Dejounte Murray had 17 points, with limited action for Ingram & Drummond amounting to 20 points and 17 rebounds.

San Antonio held sway the entire game, leading by 25 at one point. The Clippers had 13 turnovers. In the loss, Kawhi Leonard had 26 points, with 19 points coming from Paul George. Rudy Gobert had 14 rebounds.