Less than two years ago, when the Los Angeles Clippers landed Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in a wild offseason in the wake of Leonard’s finals MVP performance, Steve Ballmer’s team looked poised to launch a dynasty. Instead, the Clippers are two losses away from an unmitigated disaster.
After sitting all of their key players at the end of the regular season to ensure a matchup with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, the Clippers find themselves in an 0-2 hole in their first-round series.
Doncic delivered another brilliant performance in a 127-121 Game 2 win. The Mavs superstar dropped 39 points, and despite a 41-point performance from Leonard, the Clippers extended their playoff losing streak.
Since holding a 3-1 series lead in the bubble against the Dallas Mavericks last year, the Clippers have lost five consecutive playoff games, and the consequences of an early exit in 2021 could be dire. With no draft capital remaining and Kawhi Leonard holding a player option for next season, the unrealized golden age of the Clippers could be over before it began.
NBA fans went off on the Clippers on social media after Tuesday’s game: