Game 7. Win and play on. Win and #dubnation cheers on. The Dubs gave everything they had with a short staff, and ultimately came up a few alley-oops short. Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Semis were at the Staples Center — not at Roooracle. That’s still tough to swallow.

Last summer, the first major free-agent signing in my memory (Iguodala) followed a 6-game second-round thriller with the Spurs last spring. Expectations were high coming into training camp. With an elite wing defender, the upstart Dubs had filled a gaping hole and were deemed ready for a deep playoff run..though the 82-game grind had just begun.

While Harrison was recovering from a sore foot, Iguodala completed the starting 5 and off we were. With the #fullsquad, the Dubs started hot and near the top of the Western Conference. Then as injuries and the departures of JJ and Landry set in, the Dubs struggled through the holidays. After the new year, Coach Jackson put the pieces together, the wins piled up and so did the votes for Steph, an All-Star starter for the Western Conference in New Orleans. Way to rep, Steph!

After every All-Star weekend, the good teams that understand the grind pick up the pace. The mindset? Keep improving as a team and roll into the playoffs on a high note. The Dubs? They showed they still had a few kinks to iron out. They won impressively on the road with signature wins against Indy and Portland, but played lethargically at Roooracle..in multiple defeats. #dubnation wasn’t amused. Could they hold on to the 6th seed? Yes, and it wasn’t easy.

With a few game left in the season, Bogut suffered a fractured rib. Status? KO for this year. Last year against the Nuggets, David Lee tore a hip flexor, missed most of the first round and didn’t recover until the summer. With a big question mark in the Dubs’ frontcourt, who would man the middle against the Clippers?

Despite being undersized against the Clippers, the Dubs fought hard and pushed the series to a game 7. Contributions from each player showed growth, passion, and chemistry. Old-man Jermaine bruised and boarded for us. Draymond started, swished his 3's, and roughed up the China shop. Harrison showed glimpses of last spring; I hope he adds some moves to his repertoire this summer. Lee came through with his ambidextrous finishes. Iguoadala hit crucial shots when we needed him. The bench came alive for a couple of games — Armstrong showed me back-to-back postups and Crawford caught fire for a few minutes (but still needs to manage the ball better). And of course, Splash Splash came to play. Klay played tenacious D on CP3 and still kept his legs for most part. Steph figured out the traps and went into Ooohh-aaAhh torch-mode.

After a hot start to game 7, the turnovers piled up (mostly from overpassing and quick whistles) and the lead became a deficit. Then down 1 with two minutes to play, the Dubs had several defensive lapses in transition and the Clippers dunked multiple times for the win.

And when it was all said and done, the Dubs brought effort and energy to Staples. If they had an extra boost, perhaps, the game ends in our favor. The Dubs definitely deserve a couple of fishing trips before hitting the gym this summer. Rest up fellas and thanks again for a memorable series! #dubnation will be LOUD and PROUD when you’re all back. Dub up!