Clippers-Trail Blazers Game 6: L.A. fighting to stay together

On the brink of elimination from the 2016 NBA playoffs, the star-reduced Los Angeles Clippers are now fighting to prove how far they’ve come from last year, and show Doc Rivers that he needs to keep everyone around for one last run at a title in 2017.

At this point of the Los Angeles Clippers’ season, down 3-2 against the Portland Trail Blazers and down two superstars, there isn’t much to fight for. The Blazers now have the momentum in their first round series as their star backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum starts to heat up, capitalizing from the absence of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin as the Clippers’ reserves struggle to keep up. And even if the Clippers do manage to turn the tide and win the next two games, they go on to face the Golden State Warriors in the second round.

When you’re fighting as hard as possible without your two best players, a heavily disadvantaged matchup against the reigning champions and first 73-win team isn’t exactly much of a reward.

But at this point of their season, with everything against them, their chances to make the Conference Finals stripped from them with two injuries that came within 15 minutes of one another, the Clippers won’t give up just yet.

More than anything, even if deep down they know winning will be tough and the second round will be far tougher still, the Clippers want to prove what they can do.

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“It is daunting,” Doc Rivers said on Thursday to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. “We know it’s a challenge… Our guys have confidence in knowing that we’ve been in this situation before… The memory helps us know that it can be done, but we have to play better basketball.”

Of course, Doc is referring to how the Clippers overcame none other than the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs last year, in the exact same manner they’ll need to overcome with Blazers with. Down in the series 3-2, the Clippers answered by winning Games 6 and 7 to close out in spectacular fashion and defeat the Spurs.

The rather glaring difference, though, is that both Paul and Griffin were around for that comeback effort. Then again, this Blazers team isn’t on level with the 2015 Spurs, so you can see why the Clippers are digging deep in a last-ditch hope for some playoff magic again this year.

However, it won’t come easily at all.

Apr 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles in between Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) and guard Pablo Prigioni (9) in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /

More clippers: Will Clippers lose patience and blow up the Big 3?

The Clippers entered the second half of Game 4 up by five points, thanks to holding the Blazers below 40 percent shooting in each of the first two quarters, using high effort defense and some aggressive play to hang on offensively. In the second half, the story changed quickly. Both J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford are absolutely vital pieces if the Clippers hope to score enough, but Redick had 19 points on a mild 7-of-17 shooting and Crawford was completely ineffective all night, going a hopeless 6-of-23 from the floor.

To support Austin Rivers and Jeff Green‘s aggressiveness (that must continue), Redick and Crawford need to heat up and stay hot.

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After a scoreless six-minute spell in the third quarter, though, the absence of Griffin and especially Paul to attract defenders and create space for others was extremely detrimental to the team. And as defensive lapses set in late in the second half, with slow rotations on the perimeter, the Blazers answered back to take a firm lead.

Now, the Clippers are fighting for themselves. They’re fighting to prove just how far they’ve come as a supportive unit, how far they’ve come defensively, and that they’re good enough to back up the Big 3 for one final run at a title next season. At the very least, even if they fail to survive in Game 6, they can try to prove to Doc that there isn’t a need to lose patience and blow up the core.

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Whether or not this will to keep going is enough is yet to be seen. After showing how much the loss of Paul and Griffin weighs down on them in Game 4, though, both emotionally and for the major blow to their offensive structure, it looks more likely that the Blazers will close out the series in Game 6.

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