And that’s not the worst of it.

The Clippers are the first team in NBA history to blow a series lead in five consecutive playoff appearances.

”Once again, we’re done,” a dejected Paul said. ”Too many times.”

Their latest failure came Sunday, a 104-91 loss in Game 7 at home against the Utah Jazz. After six closely contested games decided by an average of 5.1 points, the Clippers turned in a flat effort with their season – and perhaps future – at stake.

They fought all season to earn home-court advantage only to lose three of four to the Jazz at Staples Center. Their 2-1 series lead vanished along with Griffin, who went down with a season-ending toe injury in Game 3.

He wasn’t around to watch the team’s demise, having traveled to consult with a doctor about possible surgery.

Whether Griffin’s around next season is one of the big questions facing the franchise.

Griffin and Chris Paul can opt out of their contracts this summer. J.J. Redick – who made one basket in Game 7 – becomes a free agent.

Ultimately, they hold the future of the franchise in their hands.

For his part, third-year owner Steve Ballmer would have to shell out upward of $200 million, including the luxury tax, to keep the trio together.

”We’ve been reading about our obituary for about three months now,” coach Doc Rivers said. ”I’m sure everyone will have their own suggestions.”

The Clippers began the season as the league’s best team at 14-2. They ended the regular season as the hottest team with a seven-game winning streak. Then they blew a 2-1 lead against the Jazz, leaving their fans wondering if the Lob City era is over.

Here are some things to know about the Clippers heading into the offseason:

GRIFFIN & PAUL

They can choose to exercise the early termination options on their contracts and become free agents. By doing so, they could still sign richer long-term deals to stay in L.A. Griffin has missed portions of the last two postseasons with injuries, and although he’s only 28, Ballmer will surely ponder whether he wants to continue focusing his franchise around such an injury-prone player. Paul carried the Clippers through the first six games against the Jazz before they shut him down with 13 points in Game 7. He turns 32 on Saturday and while he is still an All-Star, Ballmer must consider whether to commit bigger bucks over several years to Paul. Or Griffin and Paul could decide it’s time to go elsewhere to pursue an elusive title.

INJURIES

During the regular season, Griffin missed 19 games with a sore right knee that required a procedure, while Paul sat out 21 games with a hamstring issue and a ligament tear in his left thumb. A year ago, Paul broke his hand and Griffin re-aggravated a quad injury in a first-round playoff loss against Portland. Griffin had missed 41 games because of the quad during the regular season, in addition to losing time after breaking his hand punching the team’s assistant equipment manager. Because of the injuries, Ballmer may decide it’s worth keeping them around to take another crack at winning the franchise’s first NBA championship.

DOC RIVERS

He just completed his fourth season in L.A. working the dual roles of president of basketball operations and coach. Under him, the team has a .662 winning percentage in the regular season. But the Clippers have consistently failed to contend for a title, going 18-21 with a .462 winning percentage in the playoffs. None of the team’s draft picks under Rivers has developed into solid support for the Big Three of Griffin, Paul and DeAndre Jordan. The team had a short bench against the Jazz, including 39-year-old Paul Pierce, who played 21 minutes in Game 7 and scored six points in his career finale. Four players – Alan Anderson, Brandon Bass, Brice Johnson and Wesley Johnson – saw little or no minutes in the series. Given his role as part of the brain trust, Rivers shares responsibility for the continued playoff failures.

REDICK

He didn’t boost his stock with a three-point effort on 1 of 5 shooting in Game 7 after slumping the entire series. Redick averaged 15.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists during the regular season, when he made a career and franchise-high 201 3-pointers. He’s one of five players to make 200 or more 3-pointers in three or more consecutive seasons. At 32, he may be ready for a change of scenery.

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For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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Chris Paul had 19 points and eight assists and J.J. Redick scored 18 points for the Clippers (9-1), who have the best record in the NBA. Los Angeles shot 52.6 percent and outscored the Timberwolves 21-10 in transition.

The Clippers have so far exhibited all the qualities of a team that can make a deep playoff run. Once a weakness, the bench has been a strength this season. And they entered the game as by far the best defensive team in the league, allowing a paltry 90.4 points per game.

”This is the best team I’ve had here,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. ”But we got to keep doing it. We’ve got to keep getting better and performing. But this is a heck of a basketball team.”

In other games, Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points to lead San Antonio over Houston 106-100.

The Spurs avenged a 101-99 loss to the Rockets in San Antonio on Wednesday and improved to 5-0 on the road, where they have outscored opponents by an average of 12.8 points.

James Harden had a triple-double for a second straight game against the Spurs, finishing with 25 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, but also added seven costly turnovers.

Houston attempted 47 3s in the game, making 15 (31.9 percent).

In Miami, Gordon Hayward scored 25 points and Rodney Hood added 17 as Utah handed the Heat a fourth consecutive loss, 102-91.

Rudy Gobert had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Utah, which was without George Hill (right thumb) and Boris Diaw (right knee) again, then lost Derrick Favors to left knee soreness in the first quarter.

Hassan Whiteside had 15 points and 14 rebounds for Miami (2-6), which is off to its worst start since 2007-08.

In Toronto, DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points and Norman Powell added 19 as the Raptors beat New York for the fourth straight time, 118-107.

DeRozan, the NBA’s leading scorer, had his eighth 30-plus-point game in nine starts this season, putting him in an exclusive club. In the last 50 years, Michael Jordan, World B. Free and Tiny Archibald have started a season registering 30-plus points in eight of the first nine games.

Boston’s Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points, including 19 over the final 14 minutes, as the Celtics beat Indiana 105-99.

Kelly Olynyk scored 16 and Amir Johnson had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics.

Indiana played without leading scorer Paul George, who sprained his left ankle in its loss at Philadelphia on Friday.

In Atlanta, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points and Kent Bazemore added 17 as the Hawks won their fourth straight game, beating Philadelphia 117-96

Dwight Howard, the NBA’s active leader in double-doubles, had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks.

Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points and Lou Williams added 21 as the Los Angeles Lakers won for the fifth time in six games, beating New Orleans 126-99.

D’Angelo Russell scored 22 and Nick Young added 15 points for the Lakers, who shot 55.3 percent overall and made 16 of 30 3-pointers.

Anthony Davis scored 34 for slumping New Orleans.

In Chicago, Jimmy Butler scored 37 points as the Bulls beat short-handed Washington 106-95.

Butler finished two points shy of his season high. He hit all 14 free throws, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out a season-high nine assists.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and Michael Beasley added a season-high 19 to help Milwaukee beat Memphis 106-96.

In Denver, Tobias Harris scored 19 points and Marcus Morris had 17 as Detroit beat the Nuggets 106-95 for their first road win of the season.

And Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading Brooklyn to a 122-104 win over Phoenix, its first road victory of the season.

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“I’m really not allowed to speak on that,” Griffin said before practice Thursday. “But I’m very confident in the situation, so once I can [speak on it], I will.”

Griffin said being charged wasn’t scary, but he instead wished it wasn’t hanging over the team.

“I definitely wouldn’t say scary. I feel more badly just for the fact that it’s a distraction,” Griffin said. “I really don’t know how big of a distraction it really is, but it is. So that’s what I feel mostly bad about.”

According to the filing Wednesday in the Clark County District Attorney’s office, Griffin “willfully and unlawfully used force or violence” on Oct. 19 on Daniel Schuman, squeezing Schuman’s hand and shoulder and/or slapping him in the face.

According to reports at the time of the incident, Griffin was upset by camera flashes in his face and grabbed Schuman’s phone.

Teammates DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul were with Griffin at the club that night but were not involved in the alleged incident.

“We don’t really talk about it,” Paul said. “He’s a teammate, he’s a brother and we’re always going to be there for him.”

According to police, the maximum penalty if convicted is six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Court records obtained Wednesday show Griffin is due for arraignment in Las Vegas on Dec. 8.

“I love Blake and support Blake, and this will work out,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “Blake was more upset that he thought it was a distraction for the team, and he didn’t want that. I think that’s great that he feels that way. I’m always more concerned with the individual involved. It will play itself out.”

The Clippers held a portion of their training camp in Las Vegas and also hold an annual preseason game at Mandalay Bay. Rivers said the incident would not prevent the team from continuing to go to Las Vegas before the season.

“They’re adults,” Rivers said. “We would have liked it to go away, but it’s part of the legal process. We knew it was out there. We didn’t know if it was going to go away or come back or get handled. We just knew it was out there.”

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“There’s been a lot of second pick busts,” Parker said Saturday morning, at the grand opening of the redesigned Jordan space inside Nike Chicago. “I’m just trying not to be that bust. Everyday that I step on the court, I just remind myself that I have a long ways to go. If I want to be one of those guys in the first tier of the NBA, like a LeBron, like a Kobe, like a [Blake Griffin], then I have to have that mentality starting off from the ground, and work my way up.”

Parker knows his history.

There is an unusually high amount of players who could rightfully be labeled as being busts that were taken second overall. The list is long, and includes names like Darko Milicic, Michael Beasley, and perhaps most famously Sam Bowie, who the Blazers took second in the 1984 draft, with Michael Jordan’s name still on the board.

In recent years, the players picked second don’t appear like they’ll amount to much, either, though there is still time. Victor Oladipo, last year’s number two pick, seems just fine. But Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Derrick Williams, Evan Turner and Hasheem Thabeet all appear to be miles away from living up to that level of expectation.

Parker is entering the league with a rebuilding Bucks team, and playing his whole life at winning programs like Duke University and Simeon Career Academy high school, he hasn’t experienced much losing. He seems prepared to handle whatever his first season may bring, however, and said his brief professional experience at Summer League in Las Vegas has helped prepare him to meet that challenge.

“I definitely learned that winning isn’t guaranteed, especially in the Summer League,” Parker said. “So I just have to have that gratitude, and just be grateful for every win that I get. If I have that attitude, then we’ll bring some good things to Milwaukee, and hopefully bring those out into the playoffs if we get the chance.”

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