Clippers Season Ends With Game 6 Loss
- Updated: April 29, 2016
The Los Angeles Clippers headed to Moda Center in Portland Friday night to take on the Trailblazers in a pivotal game 6. Trailing the series 3-2, a loss in this game would spell the end of the Clippers season after a tumultuous opening round in these playoffs that saw Chris Paul and Blake Griffin being knocked out for the remainder of the season.
After trying a lineup that consisted of Paul Pierce and sixth-man of the year Jamal Crawford in game 5, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers decided to try something different in this contest adding Jeff Green and Luc Mbah a Moute to the starting lineup in place of the two.
Tonight’s @AmericanAir starting lineup in Portland. pic.twitter.com/Gy32CFzQKe
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 30, 2016
If the Clippers had anything in this game it was fight. With all of the injuries that have plagued the Clippers this playoff series the last thing anyone wanted to see was another one, cue Austin Rivers.
Austin Rivers is down and bleeding a lot. This is the worst possible start for the Clippers.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) April 30, 2016
Good thing for Los Angeles, eleven stitches weren’t enough to stop the 23 year-old guard. Ending the night with 21 points and 8 assists he proved to be the Clippers toughest competitor in this game and managed such a great game playing with basically one good eye.
Rivers though wouldn’t be the only Clipper doing every thing he could, DeAndre Jordan got himself yet another double-double putting up 15 points and hauling in an amazing 20 rebounds when his team needed him most.
Also, Crawford simply was the bench for the Clippers game 6. He shot the lights out in the second quarter and finished up with 32 points after having 22 in the first half. The rest of the bench only scored 6 points, total.
In the end Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum would end up being too much for Los Angeles however. A huge third quarter from beyond the arc for the Blazers would make things more difficult for the Clippers but again, they never stopped fighting. Remaining in this game all the way until the final whistle. When it came down to it, the Blazers just had too much firepower for the depleted Clippers roster to compete. Combined Lillard and McCollum put up a ridiculous 48 points and when two players are able to play that well, it is very difficult to win against them. The Blazers would prevail 106-103.
Well Clipper Nation that will do it. A tough end to a year that was supposed to see the club pushing their way into the Western Conference and maybe even the NBA finals. Sadly, we will all have to wait one more year to see if that dream can become a reality.
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