<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Less than three months into its first full season of existence, Clipper Nation has already rolled out a new national anthem. It debuted Monday, four minutes into the Clippers' showdown with the San Antonio Spurs. It was short, but reeked. "Boooooo." Everyone wondered when this wonderful Clippers honeymoon would be over. It's over. The room-service flatware is crusted. The little soap wrappers are shredded. The joint smells of stale cologne and wet towels. The bill has come due, and the Clippers are walking around with their heads down and their hands scouring their pockets. It became official Monday when, in the same building, one night after the Lakers crushed the Spurs, the Clippers were crushed by the Spurs. What a difference six months and 60 feet make. Yes, the Clippers were without heaving Chris Kaman (virus), aching Corey Maggette (knee), and could get only four minutes from embarrassed Tim Thomas (the three-point specialist injured his finger on a dunk). But still, isn't this the team that always played hard no matter what? The heart of an underdog and the will of a Dunleavy and all that stuff? They were beaten, 103-81, in a game that wasn't that close. They were beaten in a 2 1/2 -hour match that was over in the first five minutes. Tony Parker layup. Tim Duncan layup. Parker runner. Manu Ginobili three-pointer. Parker jumper. Francisco Elson dunk. Thirteen to four. "Boooooo." After that moment, if you don't count Elton Brand changing his bloodied pants on the bench, there was only one real piece of excitement. Between the third and fourth quarters, a Whittier third-grade teacher named Luis Jimenez sank a midcourt shot to win a new car. He did it while shooting a basketball for the first time in three months. He did it with a right-handed baseball throw.</div> Source
