Los Angeles (AFP)
The Clippers qualified for the first Western Conference final in their history, which they will play against Phoenix, after beating Utah (131-119), while Philadelphia tied at three wins all over by winning in Atlanta (104 -99), Friday in the NBA play-offs.
.
"Redemption"
In more than one way, it is a real feat achieved by the Clippers who are certainly still far from a first league title - it will first eclipse the beaming Suns - but have broken a spell, they who had for a long time attached to their backs a "losers" sign, by dint of making rhyme ambition with disappointment in the play-offs.
Last year, after shouting loud and clear that they felt in the skin of favorites, they were raised from 3-1 to 4-3 by Denver in the conference semifinals.
This time, they mainly spoke on the floor, eliminating Dallas in the first round after being led 2-0 then 3-2, and after having again chased after Utah, winner of the first two meetings, they have chained four victories in a row.
And like the previous one in Jazz, this one was played without their best player, Kawhi Leonard, injured in his right knee and whose duration of absence is indefinite.
A tour de force, in particular due to Terance Mann, tenured for the occasion and who walked on the water with 39 points scored at 15/21 on shots, including seven banderillas planted at long distance.
The rear was the executioner of Jazz who had yet started this meeting well when he was back to the wall, leading by 12 points at the break, in the wake of Donovan Mitchell, over-motivated and very efficient, since he has he also scored 39 points, thanks in particular to nine baskets behind the arc.
# photo1
But the Clippers, who gambergeaait so much at the slightest adversity raised in the big matches, knew how to react with a tenfold pride and inflicted a 41-22 on their adversaries in the third quarter, and drove the point home in the last (40 -25), finding in Paul George (29 pts) and Reggie Jackson (28 pts) lethal offensive weapons.
Opposite, except Mitchell, Jordan Clarkson and Royce O'Neale brought 21 pts each, but more was needed to snatch a 7th game.
.
The Sixers keep the suspense going
Very smart will be the one who can guess which team will advance to the final in the East, this series is so tight and unpredictable.
On Wednesday, the Hawks had managed the feat of erasing 26 points behind accused at the start of the third quarter, to finally win 109-106.
This time in Georgia, their hero Trae Young, who had worked miracles with 39 points registered, put in 34 (12 assists), but they were not enough to prevent the Sixers from holding their victory, after being led 92 -84 four minutes from time.
# photo2
Now it's Philly's turn to make a winning comeback thanks to its second knives, the winger Tobias Harris and the shooter Seth Curry, each author of 24 points.
The first remained icy in the last 13 seconds by entering four free throws which ensured the result.
The second planted six three-point baskets under the eyes of his brother Stephen (Warriors), who came to support him and who must have appreciated this demonstration of their family specialty, since their father Dell was a great shooter in the 90s.
# photo3
The star Joel Embiid, still annoyed by his painful right knee meniscus, was less in sight than usual but also carried out a big project (22 pts, 13 rbds) and was involved in an altercation which could have ended badly with the interior of the Hawks John Collins (7 pts, 10 rebounds).
On the Atlanta side precisely, the evening is all the more painful as its shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic injured his right knee in the last quarter and could not finish the meeting.
The Hawks will have to hope for his recovery on Sunday in Philadelphia, even if they have an exceptional talent in Trae Young, who still managed wonderful shots despite an address slightly at half mast (13/30).
© 2021 AFP