The thing about the NBA Playoffs is that we should always expect the unexpected. There is always an opportunity for surprising storylines to unfold and new stars to emerge.
The 2021 Los Angeles Clippers just made their own mark and placed themselves in the history books in dramatic fashion. Led by an unlikely hero and faced with a daunting deficit, the Clippers barged into the Western Conference Finals for the very first time after a Game 6 full of twists and turns.
At the center of the Clippers’ 25-point comeback in the series-clinching game was 24-year-old Terance Mann. The sophomore swingman exploded for 39 points in a stunning display of shooting. He went right at the Jazz without fear nor hesitation as he drilled seven treys and made 15 out of 21 field goals. It was a surreal performance heightened by the seemingly insurmountable circumstances surrounding it.
All the signs in the series pointed towards a Game 7 and worse, another playoff exit for the Clippers. They were down 0-2 after the first two games. After tying the series, Kawhi Leonard, their best player and All-NBA forward went down. They needed a herculean effort from Paul George in Game 5 and barely made it out.
In Game 6, the Jazz flaunted a complete lineup. Mike Conley finally returned after missing the first five games. The Clippers were smacked in the first half by the Jazz’s one-two punch combo. Donovan Mitchell had 22 points by then and Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson lit the arena with 21 points in the second quarter alone.
The Jazz were up with a commanding 75-50 lead early in the third. The Clippers could have waved the white flag early and simply regrouped for a Game 7. As a franchise, the Clippers were previously 0-8 in closeout games. They could have let history dictate the present once again.
But Mann and the Clippers remained in the moment and came through. They fought their way back with timely shots from Mann who scored 20 points in the third quarter, setting a franchise playoff record for points in a period.
There was also Reggie Jackson and his 27 points and season-high 10 assists. George, meanwhile, filled the stat sheet with 28 points, nine boards, and seven dimes. Jackson and George also added three steals apiece. Nicolas Batum was just as instrumental with his contribution of 16 points and seven rebounds while being a force on the defensive end with two steals plus three blocks.
The Clippers gave a collective effort that left the best regular season team stunned. Mitchell and company swung for the fences hoping to force a deciding seventh game but Mann, George, and the rest of coach Tyronn Lue’s team responded.
This version of the Clippers showed resilience and perseverance no other squad in the team’s 51-year history had embodied before. They refused to let the failings of years past haunt them. The list of recent playoff failures includes the collapse of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin’s Lob City as well as what happened last season in the bubble. It was fitting that the guy who led them through the second round was a sophomore guard whose youth and potential met the moment.
Terance Mann became the hero that the Clippers needed in what turned out to be the franchise’s most pivotal game so far.
The Clippers still have a long way to go before capturing the ultimate prize. They still have to go through the franchise’s old face in Paul and the Phoenix Suns. If they manage to come out of the West, there will be an Eastern Conference foe equally hungry for a title waiting for them.
