The general thinking is that NBA teams should try to wrap up playoff series as quickly as possible, avoid playing too many games, and keep players fresh for a deep playoff run. That’s part of what makes the Los Angeles Clippers being taken to seven games in the first round concerning, but coach Ty Lue prefers to look on the bright side.
The Clippers rallied from a 3-2 series deficit and eliminated the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday with a Game 7 win. After the game, Lue said he felt the experience left his team “battle-tested” and made them more prepared for the rest of the playoff run.
It might end up helping the Clippers to get this sort of wake-up call early on. On the other hand, Dallas pushed the Clippers to six games in last year’s first round series before the Clippers ultimately blew a 3-1 series lead to Denver in the conference semifinals. That said, the Clippers were never pushed to the brink by Dallas in 2020 like they were in 2021.
One thing is certain: the Clippers faced a lot of adversity very early on. Maybe it really will prove helpful as they prepare for a battle against the Utah Jazz, who are the top seed in the West.
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