Queen Lafifah Proud to be Among ‘Her People’ at Gay Pride Event
Queen Latifah arrived with her royal court to an amped and enthusiastic crowd of subjects summoned to celebrate the 29th Annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival on Saturday, May 19.
The annual event held in Long Beach, California boasts of drawing approximately 100,000 attendees each year, making it the 2nd largest Pride festival in California and 4th largest in the nation. With such star power like Queen Latifah embracing this year’s event and taking the stage, attendance was presumably higher because everybody loves to see and hear a queen. And there was only one way for Her Highness to make her grand entrance, and that was upon the wings of rap hits like “U.N.I.T.Y.” and “Ladies First.”
Similar to the title of her 2003 film Bringing Down the House, Queen Latifah came hyped, energized and ready to do just that. She “brought it” in more ways than one, bridging songs with inspiring and encouraging words by telling the crowd to “let their inner light shine in the world” and “to conquer hate with love.”
It wasn’t just her Covergirl glow that radiated from the main stage and mesmerized festival goers; it was the light of her transparency emanating from within. The moment she uttered, “I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time,” the crowd knew she was prepared to reflect all sides of herself throughout her musical performance.
She was as free as she wanted to be and as honest as she needed to be, from bumping and grinding onstage to acknowledging that she was proud to be among “her people” to the predominantly LGBT crowd.
In my opinion, for a highly respected African American celebrity to display that kind of courage was “Simply Beautiful” – the Al Green remake she rendered midway through her performance.
It was a celebration and party onstage as well as offstage as Queen Latifah performed from a smorgasbord of musical genres ranging from rap, hip hop, jazz, R&B to reggae as well as performing songs from various artists and paying homage to a plethora of female rappers.
Boldly proclaiming that today’s hip hop is “missing the female voice,” it wasn’t too many moons ago when Queen Latifah first busted onto the scene as a socially conscious East Coast female rapper to debut her album All Hail The Queen. It represented both strength and softness, and provided a positive image of beauty, class and self-confidence for young African American women.
Although originally from the East Coast and retaining a residence there, Queen Latifah took a moment to express her love and appreciation for the West Coast by performing the Roy Ayers’ hit “Everybody Loves The Sunshine.”
The multi-talented artist has always been ready and willing to share her gift with the world which enabled her to skyrocket to fame in music, film, television, and as a spokes-model where she remains at the top of her game.
Her first musical appearance at the Gay Pride Festival was a testament that Queen Latifah not only wants to be true to her loyal fans, but that she is willing to stand up and be herself, perhaps gaining even deeper respect and appreciation from her supporters.
Dana Stringer is a freelance writer
Lil Wayne Being Investigated for Another Assault Charge
Lil Wayne’s being a bad boy again.
That’s right. For the second time in a month, Weezy and his crew are under the microscope for assault.
And once again, the alleged victim was beten because he dared take a picture of the lil’ fella.
Alfredo Marino tells TMZ on May 3 he spotted Lil Wayne and his posse skateboarding. Marino says he is a HUGE fan of Wayne’s so he went up to Weezy to ask for a photo — but was shut down.
Marino retreated to his car, where he tried sneaking a pic … Marino claims Wayne walked over with his crew and began threatening him, saying, “Don’t you know all it takes is a word and these motherf**kers are going to f**k you up?”
Marino claims he was clocked from behind with a skateboard — which knocked him down and left him bleeding from the head. Marino says he suffered a concussion and vertigo.
Marino’s lawyer, Craig Chisvin, tells TMZ, “My client will enforce all of his rights under the law and all individuals responsible for this outrageous incident will be blamed for the damages that my client has suffered and continues to suffer.”
In April, a photog in Miami filed a police report claiming he was attacked by Lil Wayne’s crew for the same offense.
Cops are investigating. Calls to Lil Wayne’s rep were not returned.
Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch’s Death Causes Beastie Boys Albums Sales Surge
In the week of Adam “MCA” Yauch’s untimely death, Beatie Boys album sales surged to meet industry rankings on the Billboard Hot 200.
The group’s climactic history set standards high when “Licensed to Ill” became the first rap album to top the Billboard charts. Now it’s back in the top 20 at No. 18.
Other Boys albums on the charts this week: “Solid Gold Hits” at No. 51, “Paul’s Boutique” at No. 56, “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” at No. 107, “Ill Communication” at No. 109, “Check Your Head” at No. 124 and “Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science” No. 141.
As is the phenomenon, after singers’ deaths, fans flock to stores and iTunes to purchase their favorite musical memories of their fallen artists.
After the death of Whitney Houston, 101,000 copies of her records were sold, along with nearly 200,000 of “I Will Always Love You.”
The Queen's lunch for monarchs attracts controversy
The King of Bahrain and Swaziland's King Mswati III are among controversial monarchs expected at a Windsor Castle lunch being hosted by the Queen later.
Critics accuse Bahrain of human rights abuses and say King Mswati lives in luxury while his people starve.
Campaigner Peter Tatchell criticised The Queen for inviting "royal tyrants to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee".
The Foreign Office said it was having "a full and frank discussion on a range of issues" with Bahrain's government.
Buckingham Palace said it will not comment on the lunch.
It will be followed by an evening banquet, hosted by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Not all the monarchs will be at both events.
Mr Tatchell said the invitations were "a shocking misjudgement" that showed the Queen was "out of touch with the humanitarian values of most British people".
"Inviting blood-stained despots brings shame to our monarchy and tarnishes the Diamond Jubilee celebrations," he said.
"It is a kick in the teeth to pro-democracy campaigners and political prisoners in these totalitarian royal regimes."
Bahrain officials said King Hamad al-Khalifa - whose country is in a state of civil unrest following crackdowns on protests last year - was expected to attend.
Last month, Bahrain Grand Prix organisers were urged to cancel the race amid public unrest in the country and accusations of human rights abuses.
And in April 2011, Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa pulled out of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding amid controversy over human rights.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "On human rights we support the reforms already under way in Bahrain and we want to help promote that reform.
"We have consistently encouraged the Bahraini government to take further urgent steps to implement in full the recommendations of the Independent Commission of Inquiry as his majesty the King has committed to doing.
"This includes bringing to account those individuals responsible for human rights abuses."
On Thursday, former Foreign Office Minister Denis MacShane criticised Bahrain for doing "such terrible things to its own people since the Arab awakening a year ago".
He said Arab nations "must let their citizens vote in free elections and let them speak without fear of arrest, torture or death".
"For too long we have turned a blind eye to the repression carried out under the rule of royals in Arabia - the Foreign Office should protect the British Queen rather than expose her to having to dine with a despot."
On Wednesday, meanwhile, a group of UK-based Swazis protested outside the Savoy hotel, in London, where King Mswati - who is widely accused of profligate spending - is thought to be staying.
The Swazliand Vigil group said it had written to the Queen to ask her to influence the king.
King Mswati is rated by Forbes magazine as the world's 15th richest monarch with a personal fortune of $100m (£62m) - while many of his 1.2 million subjects live in poverty.
Saudi and Kuwaiti royals are also attending the banquet.
Amnesty international has recently highlighted repression in Saudi Arabia, as the authorities there crack down on protesters and reformists.
And Human Rights Watch has criticised Kuwait for the suspension of a daily newspaper and the conviction of its editor for incitement.
Meanwhile, Queen Sofia of Spain will not be attending because of a dispute over fishing rights off Gibraltar, a UK territory that Spain also claims.
The Spanish government statement said it was "hardly appropriate" for the 73-year-old to attend the lunch.
Her husband, King Juan Carlos, had already declined an invitation because he is recovering from a broken hip.
BBC diplomatic correspondent, Bridget Kendall, says that two problems always hung over this Diamond Jubilee lunch list - the possibility of protests at the inclusion of the despots and non democrats among the invited crowned heads of states, and the risk of diplomatic spats intervening.
Gibraltar has been the cause of a no-show by Spain before at a royal occasion. Spanish royalty stayed away from Prince Charles' wedding to Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1981 because the honeymoon was to include a stop in Gibraltar, our correspondent added.
Other members of the British royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Duke of York and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will also be at the lunch.
Guest list
The full guest list for the monarchs' lunch is:
HM The King of Bahrain; HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa (Bahrain); HM The King of The Belgians; HM The Queen of The Belgians; HM The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei; HM Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha (Brunei); HM King Simeon II of the Bulgarians; HM Queen Margarita of the Bulgarians; HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; HRH The Prince Consort (Denmark); HM King Constantine of the Hellenes; HM Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes; HM The Emperor of Japan; HM The Empress of Japan; HM The King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; HM Queen of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; HH Sheikh Nasser Mohamed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait.
HM King Letsie III of Lesotho; HM Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho; HSH Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein; HRH The Grand Duke of Luxembourg; HRH The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg; HM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia; HM Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri of Malaysia; HSH The Prince of Monaco; HSH The Princess of Monaco; HRH Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco; HM The Queen of the Netherlands; HM The King of Norway; HM The Queen of Norway; HH The Emir of The State of Qatar; HH Sheika Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned (Qatar).
HM King Michael I of Romania; HM Queen Anne of Romania; HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia; HM King Mswati III of Swaziland; Inkhosikati LaMbikiza (Swaziland); HM The King of Sweden; HM The Queen of Sweden; HRH The Crown Prince of Thailand; HRH Princess Srirasm of Thailand; HM The King of Tonga; HM The Queen of Tonga; HH The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; HRH The Crown Prince of Yugoslavia; HRH The Crown Princess of Yugoslavia.
Facebook sets share price in $100bn flotation
Facebook has priced its shares ahead of one of the most eagerly-anticipated share flotations in recent stock market history.
The social network said on Thursday that it valued shares at $38 (£24) each, and that its shares would begin trading in New York on Friday.
At this price the eight-year-old firm would be worth $104bn (£66bn).
Demand is set to be high; earlier this week Facebook said it would be selling 25% more shares than planned.
But questions remain about the firm's ability to generate profits and take advantage of mobile phone platforms.
There are also concerns that once the company has to answer to shareholders, there may be a greater emphasis on advertising to generate profits.
Limited say
Earlier this week, the company indicated the price would be between $34-$38 a share, with about 421 million shares up for sale.
This would represent one of the highest value share sales, or initial public offerings (IPOs) in US history.
By selling shares at that value, Facebook raised $16bn for itself.
However, the new shareholders will not have much of a say in how the company is run.
The shares on offer are A shares, which carry one vote per share, whereas the current owners' shares are B shares, which carry 10 votes each.
They will control more than 96% of the votes after the public listing, with founder Mark Zuckerberg holding just under 56% of the voting power of the company.
Mr Zuckerberg, who owns about 25% of the company, stands to gain the most from taking Facebook public. Fellow founders Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Saverin will also become paper-billionares overnight, as will Napster founder and former employee Sean Parker.
US venture capital firm Accel Partners and Russian internet investment group Digital Sky Technologies also hold significant stakes in Facebook, while Microsoft and U2 frontman Bono also stand to make a huge profit on their investment in the company.
The social networking site has transformed the way in which hundreds of millions of people around the world communicate. It is also transforming the way companies advertise to existing and potential customers
Value of Facebook stakes
- Mark Zuckerberg $19.1bn
- Dustin Moskovitz $5.1bn
- Alisher Usmanov $5bn
- Eduardo Saverin $2.9bn
- Sean Parker $2.5bn
- Peter Thiel $1.06bn
- Sheryl Sandberg $1bn
- Chris Hughes $835m
- Yuri Milner $400m
- Mark Pincus $164m
Source: Bloomberg Billionaires Index
But Facebook's 900 million users helped the company generate just $1bn in profit last year, and there are concerns about its ability to grow profits in the future.
For while it holds a depth of personal information advertisers dream about, Facebook only generates about $5 a year per user.
This has led a number of commentators to question the company's valuation.
"Facebook will need to generate annual revenue of $30bn-$40bn in order to justify the likely valuation of the business," said Victor Basta at Magister Advisors.
"This is a tenfold increase over the revenues that it currently generates. The question is 'where from?'".
The potential revenue from online advertising is huge.
"We know our industry is $1tn worldwide," Martin Sorrell, chief executive of advertising giant WPP, told the BBC.
"We know internet advertising is currently 20% roughly [of the total]. We know people are spending almost a third of their time online in one way or another, so there's a vast opportunity for Facebook."
Spanish banks have credit ratings cut by Moody's
Ratings agency Moody's has cut the credit ratings of 16 Spanish banks, a further blow to a country that is struggling to deal with the bad debts of its banking sector.
It also cut the debt rating on Santander UK, a subsidiary of the Spanish banking giant.
It comes after shares in struggling lender Bankia fell another 14%. They have almost halved in value this month.
Fears about losses at Spanish banks has hit shares across Europe.
The banks include Banco Santander and BBVA, the biggest banks in Spain. Ten of the 17 banks were also put on negative credit watch, meaning that further downgrades are possible.
"The change to Moody's credit rating of Santander UK plc has no impact on our businesses in the UK or our plans for future growth," Andy Smith, a spokesman at Santander said about the downgrade.
"Santander UK plc is an autonomous subsidiary of the Santander Group, with more than 90% of its total assets held in the UK and a eurozone sovereign exposure of less than 1% of assets."
In cutting the ratings, Moody's cited the "adverse operating conditions, characterised by the renewed recession, the ongoing real-estate crisis and persistent high levels of unemployment".
It also said that the Spanish government, due to its borrowing difficulties, has had its ability to provide support to the banks "reduced".
The Spanish government also had to pay higher rates of interest to borrow money on the markets, which leads some to believe it will need a bailout.
Moody's also cut the ratings of four of Spain's regions - Catalonia, Murcia, Andalucia and Extremadura - of whom it said there is only a "low probability that the regional governments will be able to meet the 2012 deficit target".
'Basically normal'
Bankia was forced to deny a report customers had taken 1bn euros ($1.3bn; £800m) out of the bank, which is set to be part-nationalised, in the past week.
Spain's economy minister denied reports of a surge in withdrawals from Bankia in recent days.
"It's not true that there is an exit of deposits at this moment from Bankia," said Fernando Jimenez Latorre.
Later, the bank's chief executive said volumes had been "basically normal".
Bankia, which holds 32bn euros (£25.7bn) in distressed property assets, was partly nationalised this month. On Wednesday, it said it was delaying the release of its first-quarter results.
It has the industry's largest exposure to the property market, which burst spectacularly and has saddled its banks with bad debt.
"Markets are worried about eurozone bank deposit runs and an escalating banking crisis," said VTB Capital economist Neil MacKinnon.
Markets drop on eurozone worries
Concern over the eurozone debt crisis has continued to weigh on financial markets.
The euro fell for the sixth day against the US dollar, to $1.2688, as an interim Greek government was sworn in to steer the debt-ridden country into repeat elections in June.
European and US shares also declined, led by financial stocks.
Shares in Spain's Bankia dropped 15%, which reflects broader fears about the health of the Spanish banking sector.
Shares in French banks like Societe Generale and BNP Paribas dropped more than 3%.
In Germany, Deutsche Bank fell 1.9% and Commerzbank dropped 1.4%. The stock exchange Deutcshe Boerse was down more than 7%.
UK banks also dropped, with Barclays down 3.8% and Royal Bank of Scotland declining 3.7%.
The Spanish government also had to pay sharply higher rates of interest to borrow money on the bond markets, raising investor fears that the worst-case scenario - a bailout - will eventually be needed.
And ratings agency Moody's cut the credit ratings of 16 Spanish banks, a further blow to a country that is struggling to deal with the bad debts of its banking sector.
'Start a fire'
Moodys also downgraded the credit ratings of four of Spain's regions - Catalonia, Murcia, Andalucia and Extremadura - and warned there was only a "low probability that the regional governments will be able to meet the 2012 deficit target".
Greece was also downgraded, to CCC from B-, by rival agency Fitch, which cited political uncertainty over the country's commitment to its last bailout and possible exit of the eurozone.
With Greece facing elections and France under newly-elected President Francois Hollande refusing to sign a pact to force nations to rein in debt, many feel that Europe is in disarray.
In New York, European Commission president Jose-Manuel Barroso told the UN that European Union member states and institutions would "do whatever is necessary" to overcome the crisis.
"We need to stay the course, without being blind to an evolving economic situation," he said. "Fortunately, the rule book allows for adaptability while remaining firmly focused on sustainability and ensuring sound public finances."
Writing in The Scotsman newspaper, Alistair Darling, who was the previous chancellor, said the impact of a Greek exit could be severe.
"A Greek exit could start a fire that would spread all along the Mediterranean as other countries would come under pressure," he wrote. "The repercussions, particularly in the banking sector, could cripple Europe for years to come."
The UK government has said the Treasury has been drawing up contingency plans in the wake of growing concern about the future Greece's membership of the euro.
A Downing Street spokeswoman confirmed the National Security Council has been involved in the plans "for some time".
Disco Queen Donna Summer Dies after Battle with Cancer
Music legend Donna Summer, known by many as the Queen of Disco, has died.
The five-time Grammy Award winner died Thursday at the age of 63 in Florida. Those close to her say she had been battling cancer for some time but had tried to keep the extent of her illness private.
Summer rose to stardom in the 1970's with hits like “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls,” from her “Bad Girls album,” as well as “Last Dance,” which helped define the disco era.
She was born as Donna Gaines December 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts to a religious family and much of her early training came from singing in a church choir.
She moved to Europe in the late 1960s, where she was cast in a German production of the musical “Hair,” and even learned to speak fluent German.
Summer returned to the United States and enjoyed popular success, culminating in 1979 with the “Bad Girls” album.
She continued to have hits in the 1980s, including 1983's “She Works hard for the Money.”
Summer married singer and songwriter Bruce Sudano in 1980. The couple had two children.
From Wikipedia:
Donna Summer was born on New Year’s Eve 1948 in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, she was one of seven children raised by devout Christian parents. Influenced by Mahalia Jackson, Summer began singing in the church at a young age. In her teens, she formed several musical groups including one with her sister and a cousin, imitating Motown girl groups such as The Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas in Boston.
In the late 1960s, Summer was influenced by Janis Joplin after listening to her albums as member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and joined the psychedelic rock group the Crow as lead singer. Beforehand, Summer dropped out of school convinced that music was her way out of Boston, where she had always felt herself to be an outsider, even among her own family who ridiculed her for her voice and her looks. The group was short-lived, as they split upon their arrival in New York. In 1968, Summer auditioned for a role in the Broadway musical, Hair. She lost the part of Sheila to Melba Moore. When the musical moved to Europe, Summer was offered the role. She took it and moved to Germany for several years. While in Germany, where she learned to speak German fluently, she participated in the musicals “Ich Bin Ich, the German version of The Me Nobody Knows,“Godspell and Show Boat. After settling in Munich, she began performing in several ensembles including the Viennese Folk Opera and also sang as a member of the pop group FamilyTree (created by the German music producer Guenter “Yogi” Lauke). She came to the group in 1973 and toured with the group throughout Europe.[citation needed]
She also sang as a studio session singer and in theaters. In 1971, while still using her birth name Donna Gaines, she released her first single, a cover of “Sally Go ‘Round the Roses“, though it was not a hit. In 1972, she married Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer and gave birth to their daughter Mimi Sommer in 1973. Citing marital problems caused by her affair with German artist (and future live-in boyfriend) Peter Mühldorfer, she divorced Helmuth but kept his last name, anglicising it to ‘Summer’. She also worked on an album with keyboardist/producer Veit Marvos in 1972, providing backing vocals on his Ariola records release Nice To See You (where she was credited under the pseudonym Gayn Pierre). Several single releases over the years have included a young Donna performing with the group, even though she often denied ever singing on any of the Marvos releases. It should also be noted that the name ‘Gayn Pierre’ was also used by Donna whilst performing in ‘Godspell’ with Helmuth Sommer during 1972.
John Legend: ‘X Factor’s’ Spears and Lovato ‘Aren’t Really Singers’
John Legend, a judge on ABC’s forthcoming singing competition “Duets,” was asked to comment on the addition of Britney Spears and Demi Lovato to the judging panel of their rival FOX show “The X Factor.”
And the Grammy-winning musician gave an honest answer.
“You know it’s interesting. It should be very interesting. I don’t have much to say,” he told E! News at Entertainment Weekly’s ABC Upfront party. “It’s interesting when people, you know, are judging singing competitions when they aren’t really singers.”
Needless to say, his comments struck a nerve on Twitter. ”Read my mentions today if you want some entertainment served with a side dish of crazy and a sprinkle of racism,” he tweeted.
He followed it up with another tweet which clarified, “I’ve never heard demi’s voice btw. Wasn’t referring to her.” He, however, didn’t say anything about Britney.
Fellow “Duets” judges Robin Thicke and Kelly Clarkson, meanwhile, were more diplomatic when asked about Spears and Lovato.
“Oh come on, everything Britney does, she excels at,” said Thicke. He added, “Demi is a lovely young lady, and I’m sure they’ll do nothing but make the show a lot more fun to watch.”
Clarkson said, “I’m a big fan of both of them. Both of those girls are super sweet. Obviously they are both performers so…I think that show really needs it. I don’t think everybody latched onto that show like they thought they would.”
“Duets” also features Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles as a judge. Legend was added to the lineup after Lionel Richie bowed out of the show, citing schedule conflicts. It will premiere on May 24 and will follow them searching for two singers each to serve as their duet partners.
Heat look vulnerable, Spurs still sharp
Without Chris Bosh, championship favourites Miami Heat suddenly looked vulnerable as they suffered an upset defeat to the Indiana Pacers, while the West's top seeds San Antonio Spurs look to have hit peak form with a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in their second-round opener on Tuesday. In Miami, the Heat's 78-75 loss left their Eastern Conference semi-final series tied at 1-1.
Bosh has been ruled out "indefinitely" after picking up an abdominal strain in Game One on Sunday and questions are being asked about how effective the Heat can be without one of their key components.
With the Heat holding a 38-33 lead at halftime, however, there was little indication of the turnaround that was to put last year's runners-up in trouble, as Indiana dominated the third quarter, outscoring Miami 28-14 and grabbing a nine-point advantage heading into the fourth.
With Bosh on the sidelines it was left to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to carry the Heat. The duo came up with 21 of Miami's 23 fourth-quarter points but James missed two free throws and Wade came up short with Miami three down and less than 10 seconds on the clock.
Miami failed to score in the final two minutes and 41 seconds of the game and their last chance to tie the score ended with Mario Chalmers' three-point effort hit the rim.
NOTHING TO CELEBRATE
James led Miami with 28 points and nine rebounds and Wade put up 24 points and made six rebounds.
David West top-scored for the Pacers with 16 points but was quick to put the victory in context.
"We have nothing to celebrate yet, we have just won one game in the series," he told TNT television.
"I thought we were more aggressive defensively and we were able to maintain our composure, early on we were able to stop them doing a couple of things they like to do and that carried over through the game," said West.
The series moves to Indianapolis for Game Three tonight.
In San Antonio, the Spurs ended their week-long break with a 108-92 rout of the Clippers.
Tim Duncan looked fresh, the 36-year-old recording 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs took advantage of a weary Los Angeles team who just concluded a physical seven-game series against Memphis.
"We just attacked the basket as much as possible and tried to take some of their aggressiveness away," said Duncan, who helped his team win their 15th consecutive game going back to the regular season action.
"It's the playoffs; it's going to be physical. Especially with the series they just got out of."
The Clippers, playing in the second round for the first time since 2006, were still in the picture until a 14-3 run in the third quarter put San Antonio up by 19.
Blake Griffin had 15 points and nine rebounds and looked to have shaken off the effects of a knee injury suffered in the first round. Chris Paul made just three of 13 shots for the Clippers and had six points and 10 assists.
Manu Ginobili added 22 for the Spurs.
(REUTERS)