Clipped

A fairy tale cut short -- the Clippers lost last night to Phoenix in Game 7 last night; both L.A. teams are now out. But the Clippers far outpaced the Lakers this playoffs season -- leading the L.A. Times to wonder, has this really been a full-fledged turnaround for the much-maligned Clippers?

Among some NBA observers there is hope; among others, skepticism.

Charles Barkley, a Hall of Fame player who is now a studio analyst for TNT's NBA telecasts summed up the situation for many when he said Monday, "Getting to the Western Conference finals one time in 25 years doesn't mean you've turned the corner. You haven't even gone halfway down the block."

That understood, this season's success was unprecedented for the Clippers and owner Donald T. Sterling, whose Midas touch as a Beverly Hills developer had previously escaped his basketball team.

Since the Clippers moved to Los Angeles from San Diego in 1984, this is only their fourth playoffs series, and their winning percentage has hovered around .340, meaning they were losers in two of every three games.

But the Clippers were 47-35 during this regular season, their best record in L.A. and their second-best mark in the 36-year history of the franchise.

Me? I just wish Sterling would do something about those obnoxious and poorly-designed ads he runs in the Sunday paper.

(Pic: LA Times.)