LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers regular-season record of 166-80 in Doc Rivers first three years as coach proves theyre one of the better teams in the NBA.Their postseason results, however, suggest something else.Theyve never gotten past the second round of the playoffs in pursuit of the franchises first-ever NBA championship.Now, time is ticking on Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, who enter their sixth year together. Griffin and Paul will be free agents at seasons end, while J.J. Redick is also in the final year of his contract.If the Clippers dont at least make the Western Conference finals, speculation is rife that the team could be broken up and rebuilt.We have the talent, leadership, tangibles and coaches, Griffin said, we just have to put it together.The Clippers went 53-29 in the regular season and lost to Portland in the first round of the playoffs, when Paul broke his right hand and Griffin reinjured his left quadriceps tendon, forcing both to miss the last two games of the series, which the Clippers lost in six.It was the latest in a series of playoff failures for a team whose potential has yet to be fully realized.In 2015, the Clippers lost to Houston in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals after blowing a 3-1 lead. In 2014, they bowed out in six games to Oklahoma City in the second round.This is the deepest, most talented group weve had since Ive been here, Rivers said. Thats why this year should be great.Los Angeles opens the season on Oct. 27 at Portland in a rematch of last seasons playoff series and opens at home against Utah three days later.Some things to watch for this season with the Clippers:HOW GRIFFIN GOES: After missing much of last season because of a broken hand and the quad injury, he figures to have extra motivation. Griffin averaged 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists while limited to 35 regular-season games. His hand injury was the result of a fight with a former staff member and landed him a four-game suspension and a loss of pay. Besides demonstrating greater maturity, Griffin needs to stay injury-free and boost a shooting percentage that has declined five consecutive seasons.FIFTH STARTER: Who will join Griffin, Paul, big man Jordan and shooting guard J.J. Redick as a reliable fifth starter? The small forward options are Luc Mbah a Moute, Wesley Johnson, veteran Alan Anderson and Austin Rivers. The elder Rivers may pick one or rotate depending on the need in a particular game. Mbah a Moute started 61 games last season, Johnson shot 33 percent from 3-point range last season, and the younger Rivers can guard an opposing teams top guard, giving Paul a chance to focus on offense.ADDING VETERANS: Rivers, who also serves as director of basketball operations, went after veterans during the offseason to add depth. He brought in 12-year pro Dorell Wright, 11-year pros Brandon Bass and Raymond Felton, eight-year pro Marreese Speights, who left Golden State, and seven-year pro Anderson. Along with three-time sixth man of the year Jamal Crawford, theyll comprise a talented bench. We all understand what were playing for, Crawford said. Starting the season, they all appear to have bought into the vision of Rivers, who will have to juggle minutes among veterans who might have found more playing time had they gone elsewhere.PIERCES FINALE: Paul Pierce is playing his 19th and final season before retiring at seasons end. He turned 39 earlier this month and is the NBAs only active player with 25,000-plus points, 7,000-plus rebounds and 4,500-plus assists. He and Doc Rivers won the 2008 NBA Finals together in Boston, and Rivers enjoys having him around as a veteran presence in addition to the Big Three of Griffin, Paul and Jordan. Pierce started 38 of 68 games last season and hed like to improve his averages of 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists before calling it a career. Scarpe Scontate Online . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. 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Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants combined some unexpected power at the plate with a gritty outing from Madison Bumgarner to beat the Braves and finally get a much-needed series win -- a rarity for manager Bruce Bochys ballclub since the All-Star break.With a little more than a month left in the season, even hitting four home runs, including a pair by Joe Panik, paled in comparison to taking two of three from Atlanta.There havent been many of them in the second half, but things look like theyre starting to turn around for us, Bumgarner said after pitching seven innings in San Franciscos 13-4 victory Sunday. Weve been playing pretty good but a lot of things havent gone our way. Thats a good win for us, to win that series.The Giants had won only one series since the break. In the process, a 6 1/2-game lead in the NL West turned into a two-game deficit heading into Sunday.San Francisco is still two games back of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, but the outlook sure is a lot brighter after the Giants completed their first series win at home since early July.Its great to take any series, Bochy said. Hopefully, we can come back and carry this the rest of the way.Panik hit a solo homer in the second and added a two-run shot in the fourth. The second baseman also reached on an infield single in the sixth and had a sacrifice fly in the seventh to match his career high of four RBI.It was the first multihomer game of his career.It was a combination of getting some good counts where I can be aggressive and just not missing those spots, Panik said.Denard Span and Eduardo Nunez also homered for the Giants. Brandon Crawford had three hits and Jarrett Parker drove in three runs.Three of San Franciscos four homers came off Braves starter Aaron Blair (0-6), who allowed five runs over four innings.When I kept the ball down they were effective pitches, and when I got hurt they were up and flat, Blair said.Bumgarner (13-8) alloweed three runs over seven uneven innings.dddddddddddd He struck out five and walked two.San Franciscos four-time All-Star pitched in and out of trouble most of the day but punctuated his afternoon with an emphatic fist pump after striking out pinch-hitter Jace Peterson to end the seventh.It seemed like it was ball one to every hitter, Bumgarner said. My command was good, just not the first pitch of the at-bat it seemed like.Freddie Freeman and Gordon Beckham homered for Atlanta. Ender Inciarte doubled, tripled and scored twice, but the last-place Braves have lost 13 of 18.Nunez, who had three hits, homered as part of an eight-run seventh, when the Giants tripled three times and sent 14 batters to the plate.MAKING HISTORYThe Giants had not had four home runs and four triples in one game since at least 1900. The last major league team to do it was the New York Yankees against Texas on May 6, 1998. Three triples came in one inning, the first time in San Francisco history that the Giants have done that.TRAINERS ROOMBraves: RHP John Gant was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to make room for Blair.Giants: 1B Brandon Belt was in the lineup after being a late scratch Saturday because of a stiff neck. ... OF Hunter Pence missed his third consecutive game with tightness in his right hamstring. ... Giants reliever Derek Law was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow. ... Parker was called up from Triple-A Sacramento before the game.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Julio Teheran (3-9) pitches against San Diego on Tuesday in the opener of a brief, three-game homestand. Teheran is winless since June 19.Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto (14-4) faces Arizona for the fourth time this season Tuesday at AT&T Park. Cueto has two wins and a 3.86 ERA in his previous three games against the Diamondbacks. ' ' '