Intro:

Reaction after Doc Rivers' Los Angeles Clippers defeat Gregg Popovich's San Antonio Spurs 111-109 to reach the NBA Western Conference semi-finals.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs coach:

"Kudos, congratulations, everything to the Clippers, the Doc and his staff, the players, a great series really played well. Both teams played with class. There was no baloney going on out on the court, except for me fouling Jordan (Clippers centre DeAndre Jordan) I guess. But, other than that, both teams competed their butts off, it was great stuff, a great series. So congratulations to them, I am really happy for them. Sad for us obviously for a lot of reasons but really happy for that group. They're trying to get it going and they're obviously in the right direction."

SOUNDBITE (English) Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers coach:

"With like two minutes left Tim Duncan walks up to me, 'This is the first round?'. I was thinking the same thing. And that is the classiest organisation, the classiest players, the best coach to me ever or one of the top ones. So all our respect goes to them. I we could scratch that somehow, some way in the next years we would be thrilled to death."