Clippers

The 131-character dispatch arrived mournfully within two hours of sunrise May 4, at 7:58 a.m. to be exact. "When u give Give GIVE and they take Take TAKE at wat point do u draw a line in the sand?" Kobe Bryant wrote on his Twitter feed, adding the hashtags "hurt beyond measure," "gave me no warning," and finally, "love?" Bryant's career with the Lakers has often been pushed aside by internal family matters, the recent court battle over his memorabilia the latest in a string of cheerless events.

Any correspondence about possible Clippers' off-season moves needs to go straight to the top. So, Chris Paul, here's a primer on what you should instruct your franchise to do in the coming months to take that next step, otherwise known as getting past the first round of the playoffs. It's not going to be easy, the Clippers creeping toward taxpayer status for the first time in franchise history, assuming you come back. You're going to have to help persuade Donald Sterling to pay those more punitive taxes or risk multiplying the disappointment Clipper Nation experienced in recent weeks.

Any correspondence about possible Clippers' off-season moves needs to go straight to the top. So, Chris Paul, here's a primer on what you should instruct your franchise to do in the coming months to take that next step, otherwise known as getting past the first round of the playoffs. It's not going to be easy, the Clippers creeping toward taxpayer status for the first time in franchise history, assuming you come back. You're going to have to help persuade Donald Sterling to pay those more punitive taxes or risk multiplying the disappointment Clipper Nation experienced in recent weeks.

Gary Sacks, the Clippers' vice president of basketball operations, said Monday he feels "very confident" that Chris Paul will sign a five-year, $107.3-million contract extension this summer to remain with the team. Not surprisingly, Vinny Del Negro also said Monday he wants to remain as coach of the Clippers. But does owner Donald Sterling, who will make the ultimate decision on who will coach the team, want Del Negro back after the Clippers' first-round playoff exit? Do Clippers President Andy Roeser and Sacks want Del Negro back?

With the roster changes pretty much finalized, it's safe to envision how the Lakers will fare in the 2012-13 season. Sure, the Lakers will have to thin their 14-man roster during training camp, and no one can be sure how any potential deals might change the NBA landscape. But in the spirit of seeing how things have evolved for the Lakers since the 2012 NBA playoffs , this is one in a series breaking down potentially troublesome opponents. Team: Clippers Lakers' record vs. Clippers last season: 2-1 How Clippers fared last season: Finished fifth in the Western Conference with a 40-26 regular-season record.

Once  Sunday evening arrived, the Lakers could relax. They had just coasted to a double-digit Game 1 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Andrew Bynum's 10 blocks tied an NBA playoff record. The Lakers raved about their team effort and Mike Brown's preparation. But the learning hadn't stopped. No, Brown didn't hold a lengthy film session or practice. Instead, many of the Lakers watched the Clippers overcome a 27-point deficit in their Game 1 win Sunday night over the Memphis Grizzlies.

1. The Lakers closed out properly against the Clippers. OK, so maybe it's frustrating the Lakers coughed up a 12-point lead. So what else is new. But they demonstrated how experience pays off over the Clippers mainly by closing out in appropriate fashion. Kobe Bryant's jumper gave the Lakers a 105-104 lead with 2:58 remaining. Metta World Peace's swipe on the next possession ensured the advantage. Ramon Sessions punished the Clippers for doubling up on everyone else, as he extended the lead to 108-104 with 47.4 seconds left.

This is the fourth in a series of profiles focusing on this year's free-agent class. Player: Nick Young Most recent team: Clippers Type of free agent: Unrestricted Positives: The Lakers have seen up close how Young can instantly tear apart a defense. The USC product is a Lakers killer, averaging 25 points per game on 48.7% shooting, 14 points above his career average. Every one of those performances provided a reminder that the Lakers remain in dire need of a reliable wing scorer besides Kobe Bryant.

-- ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports the Clippers are pursuing former Laker Lamar Odom.  Stein also reports the Lakers are interested in Clippers guard Mo Williams. -- The Times' Roger Vincent details MSG's recent purchase of the Forum. -- Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico reports the Lakers are trying to trade Metta World Peace for a first-round pick. Love to see which team falls for that offer. Amico is also reporting the Lakers are trying to trade Pau Gasol to the Washington Wizards for the third overall draft pick.

Though the primary focus for the Clippers will be on re-signing Chris Paul and on whether the team keeps or releases Coach Vinny Del Negro, L.A. has other roster decisions to make as well. The players came in Saturday for their exit interviews with the front office a day after the Clippers were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in a Western Conference first-round series. It was a Clippers team still coming to grips with having won the franchise's first-ever Pacific Division and finished with a team-best 56-26 record.

It is always easier to be critical when you don't have a dog in the fight, so let's go ahead. The NBA playoffs are in full swing. If we think hard, we in Los Angeles can remember what that's like. People flying purple flags out car windows. The Clippers going past the first round. Close your eyes and savor. Then open them so we can take a hard look at the game and the league that has built such a ga-ga fan base. As popular as it is, the NBA keeps edging closer to pro wrestling.

Though the primary focus for the Clippers will be on re-signing Chris Paul and on whether the team keeps or releases Coach Vinny Del Negro, L.A. has other roster decisions to make as well. The players came in Saturday for their exit interviews with the front office a day after the Clippers were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in a Western Conference first-round series. It was a Clippers team still coming to grips with having won the franchise's first-ever Pacific Division and finished with a team-best 56-26 record.

Win or go home. It's the slogan for the NBA during the playoffs and it now applies to the Clippers. The reeling Clippers must beat the surging Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, on the road, in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series or L.A.'s season is over. If the Clippers find a way to win - something they haven't done in the last three games after winning the first two in this best-of-seven series - Game 7 would be Sunday at Staples Center.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Chris Paul sat in a chair wearing a red jacket, his night done early after he was ejected from the game with 2:29 left after getting his second technical foul. Matt Barnes sat in his chair with a towel over his head. Blake Griffin sat in his chair with both hands on his head, his sprained right ankle in a bucket of ice. The Clippers' locker room was mostly quiet after a 118-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 that eliminated L.A. from the Western Conference first-round playoffs.

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  -- Matt Barnes was not going down without a fight. Barnes scored a playoff career-high 30 points in Game 6 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series against Memphis on Friday night. He played small forward and power forward, often having to defend Memphis star Zach Randolph. Barnes made his first seven shots, including his first five three-point tries. Overall, he made 11 of 14 from the field, six of seven beyond the arc. He also had a team-high 10 rebounds in almost 37 minutes, but the Clippers were eliminated by the Grizzlies.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Bring on the next bunch of disappointing, underachieving, gagging local athletes. And so it goes with our Trojans, Lakers, Clippers and even the Bruins losing their last three. So much promise, raised expectations and then a quick goodbye to all. The Kings? The who? Oh yeah, I hear they're down already, 2-0. Thank heavens for the grandchildren. They are waiting at home, in for a visit from Arizona, and they don't give a lick about the power trip referee Joe Crawford is on, disturbed fans in Memphis or a visit with the Choking Dogs on Monday night.

In two weeks, the Clippers will open the regular season after training camp and the dress rehearsals of exhibitions are over. After the first 2 1/2 weeks of practices and three exhibitions, at least in the eyes of guard Chris Paul, the Clippers have made the right strides to be ready for that Oct. 31 game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. "I think we're right where we need to be," Paul said after practice Tuesday. "We never want to peak too early. We're showing a lot of good signs in a few areas, but we still need a lot of work in other areas.

MEMPHIS - Grant Hill can see the end of his career coming. "I'm 99% sure this it, that this will be my last season," Hill said. But then Hill was asked to step into a void for the Clippers when Caron Butler was unable to play in the second half of the Clippers' 91-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday because of a sore right knee. Hill scored five points on two-for-three shooting, had one rebound and two blocked shots in 11 minutes 28 seconds. So, Hill was asked after the game in which he played a pivotal role, is he still thinking about retiring?

The task the Clippers face in trying to deal with a tough Memphis Grizzlies team has become even more daunting. There is Blake Griffin's sprained right ankle that limited the All-Star forward to about 20 minutes in the Clippers' Game 5 loss Tuesday in the Western Conference playoffs. His X-rays were negative and an MRI showed no structural damage Wednesday. But the Clippers, who trail the Grizzlies, 3-2, have listed Griffin as a game-time decision for their win-or-go-home Game 6 at Memphis on Friday.

The Clippers' public relations department sent out a notice announcing none of their players would be available Wednesday. It wasn't surprising to hear they lacked the backbone to own up to their own disappearing act a night earlier. The PR notice said the players would be available to talk Thursday at 11:15 p.m. I'm sure the Clippers meant 11:15 a.m., but then I wonder - maybe they don't want anyone talking to them. Why didn't they schedule exit interviews for the players Wednesday?