Handel » e got knocked out, it wouldnt have happened three or fo

LOS ANGELES -- Doc Rivers couldnt begin the Los Angeles Clippers only day of preparation for Game 7 in the film room or on the practice court. The coach was downtown at the Clippers team offices Friday, meeting with an angry roomful of ticket-sellers and marketers still outraged by owner Donald Sterlings racist comments. "Ill say this much: Our players thought about not working. So did our employees, and they still felt that way," Rivers said. "They needed somebody to ask them to continue to work and support us. Were still trying to put this thing together." For both the Clippers and the Golden State Warriors, basketball has been secondary for much of this extraordinary series. But after the most tumultuous week in Clippers history, the first round is finally down to its grand finale. The Clippers will host a seventh game for the first time in franchise history on Saturday night, hoping to draw energy from their Staples Center crowd for a cathartic victory. The winner gets a second-round date with Oklahoma City or Memphis. "Weve got to protect home court," Clippers centre DeAndre Jordan said Friday. "Our season is tomorrow." The Warriors have been just one obstacle faced by the Clippers, who endured sleepless nights and immense scrutiny while their owner was exposed and subsequently banned for life from the NBA between playoff games. Los Angeles has lost two of three games since the Sterling saga began, playing lifelessly in Game 4 before struggling along with the Warriors in Game 6 on Thursday night. When the Clippers went back to work Friday, Sterling-related memorabilia had been removed from the trophy case in the hallway at their palatial $60 million training complex built by Sterling six years ago. Even the "Sterling Drive" sign outside the Playa Vista facility had been taken down. The Clippers missed their chance to wrap the series in Oakland, but the Pacific Division champions played all year for the chance to finish a series on their home court. "Its going to be tough, and youre going to face adversity, and we clearly have faced adversity in this round," said Blake Griffin, who managed just 17 points on 8-for-24 shooting in Game 6. "I think its just important that we all stayed the course and had positive thoughts about it. It is a Game 7, but its still a playoff game. It doesnt change a whole lot." Neither team plans to spend much time working on tactics or adjustments after six games of seeing everything their opponent has to offer. Both teams arent saying much about various nagging injuries, from Chris Pauls strained left hamstring for the Clippers to Jermaine ONeals sprained right knee for Golden State. Instead, two relatively inexperienced playoff teams are eager to show off everything theyve learned about perseverance and toughness over the past two weeks, culminating in a rare winner-take-all finish to their series. "Im not sure that both teams love each other, but Im pretty positive that both teams have tremendous respect for each other," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. The Clippers core played a Game 7 two years ago, beating Memphis on the road for just their second playoff series victory since Sterling bought the team in 1981. Jordan and Griffin said there was little to draw from that victory, with Jordan barely remembering it. The Warriors havent played a Game 7 since 1977, no surprise for a franchise with just three playoff berths in the last 20 years. When asked if an injury could keep him out of Game 7, Paul scoffed. "Ill be there," Paul said. "Seven-thirty, that balls throwed up, Ill be there. Cant wait." Even with the Clippers on the front page during this series, Golden State has plenty of its own internal drama. Jackson could be coaching his final game for the Warriors after the club ownerships reluctance to publicly back his return despite the most successful two-year stretch in two decades. "I think weve had more controversy than them throughout this whole season that gets overlooked, kind of thrown under the rug a little bit," Golden States Andre Iguodala said. "Weve had some battles this year weve had to deal with, but its kept us together and made us stronger." Wholesale Flyers Jerseys . Simona Halep of Romania claimed the fifth title of her career by beating Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the womens final. After trading sets, Gasquet trailed 4-3 in the decider but broke back to 4-4 in a game that went to seven deuces with Kukushkin constantly failing on his forehand shots. Cheap Flyers Jerseys Authentic . Gaborik was acquired in a trade with Columbus on Wednesday and skated on the top line with centre Anze Kopitar and right-winger Justin Williams. "We created some things," said Gaborik, who logged 16:38 of ice time. http://www.cheapflyersjerseys.com/. -- Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo is going to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Cheap Flyers Jerseys China . The 155th edition of the Plate for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds, the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America, will be televised live on TSN in HD (High Definition) in a special presentation from 4:30 – 6:00 pm ET. Post time is 5:38 pm. Cheap Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys . Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was also taken to three sets but emerged with a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 win over Tobias Kamke of Germany, while second-seeded David Ferrer joined Murray in making an early exit after a 6-4, 7-5 loss to Daniel Brands of Germany.MACAU, Macau -- Robert Garcia, the trainer of Brandon Rios, said Friday that Manny Pacquiao is showing signs of coming to the end of his career and vulnerable in the WBO welterweight title fight. Pacquiao is coming off two losses and has not fought since his devastating knockout defeat at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez almost a year ago. Garcia said hes noticed subtle signs of decline in the Filipino boxer, once considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. "Everybodys end comes someday and it could be this fight," Garcia said. "He does have a lot to lose in this fight, and thats pressure not only for him but his trainer and everybody in his camp." "There are things Ive seen in his last two fights that maybe a lot of people who havent fought dont see. I went through those things and I already see them ... A lot of fighters go through the same things, they dont even tell their wives, but I can see it in him." Pacquiaos trainer Freddie Roach bristled when told of Garcias comments. There has been no love lost between the two camps since a physical altercation between them in the training gym on Wednesday. "When does he watch my guy? Does he see my guy train every day, does he see the sacrifices my guy goes through, does he see the roadwork we do every day?" Roach said. "If Manny shows any sign of slippage in training camp Id be the first to tell him its time to quit, and its not time yet for sure. I hhope they are overconfident because Manny is going to destroy this guy.dddddddddddd" The undercard for the fight at The Venetian casino in Macau begins Saturday night, followed by the main event about 3 hours later. It begins early Sunday local time. Pacquiaos contentious points loss to Timothy Bradley, followed by his frightening knockout against Marquez had raised questions about whether he could ever get back to his top form, with Garcia among the doubters. "The Manny of three, four years before should have beaten Bradley," Garcia said. "Marquez is 40 years old and Pacquiao was supposed to beat him, to knock him out. Pacquiao got tired and he got knocked out, it wouldnt have happened three or four years ago. He hasnt dropped anybody since 2009." Roach acknowledged Pacquiaos recent failure to knock out opponents -- dating back to his victory over Miguel Cotto in 2009 -- but said the Filipino fighter was eager to do so as way of announcing his return to the peak of the sport. "He could have knocked out a couple of guys since then, but his compassion got in his way," Roach said. "Coming off two losses, he knows he has to be impressive, and being impressive is not winning by close decision, being impressive is winning by knockout. "I dont feel Rios can go the distance with a guy with the talents of Manny Pacquiao. Its a world-class fighter going in against a guy who is a journeyman at best." ' ' '