NBA Playoff Reactions: June 18, 2021

Philadelphia 76ers 104, Atlanta Hawks 99

Series tied 3-3

FINAL BOX SCORE

When the Hawks jumped out to a 20-8 lead early the first quarter, I was highly concerned for the 76ers. Was Philadelphia seriously going to carry over their collapse from Game 5 and let Atlanta run them out of the gym? Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, and we had a more competitive affair.

Solid defensive effort from both sides led the teams to shoot a combined 41.1 percent from the field. The key to tonight’s result was Philadelphia picking up some slight shooting advantages in the second half. In the third quarter, the 76ers went 7-of-11 from 3-point range, outscoring the Hawks 21-9 from beyond the arc. In the final frame, Philadelphia outscored Atlanta 15-6 from the free throw line.

The 76ers won this game in spite of their struggling superstars. Joel Embiid finished with 22 points, but he did so on 9-of-24 shooting with eight turnovers and four fouls. Ben Simmons barely showed up at all, coming away with six points on 2-of-6 shooting and five fouls. Tobias Harris, Seth Curry (24 points each), and Tyrese Maxey (16 points off the bench) were the true heroes for Philadelphia on this evening.

Trae Young had another epic game, dropping 34 points, doling out 12 assists, and swiping three steals. Kevin Huerter (17 points, 11 rebounds, four assist) and Clint Capela (14 points, 11 rebounds) chipped in double-doubles of their own, while Danilo Gallinari also picked up 16 points. However, rough shooting from 3-point range (10-of-31, 32.1 percent) and brutal shooting from the line (13-of-24, 54.2 percent) doomed Atlanta in the end.

Los Angeles Clippers 131, Utah Jazz 119

Clippers win series 4-2

FINAL BOX SCORE

Talk about a Tale of Two Halves! Utah ran away with the first half 72-50. However, the Clippers completely flipped the script in the second half and blitzed the Jazz 81-47!

The first half was an offensive arms race, with both teams taking a healthy amount of shots from beyond the arc. Utah shot 12-of-19 from beyond the arc in the opening two quarters. The Clippers couldn’t keep up, as a 2-of-12 second quarter set them back, bringing them to a 6-of-20 total for the half.

The second half was a completely different story. LA made adjustments on both ends of the floor and rode them all the way to a Western Conference Finals berth. Offensively, they went back to the well of bullying Rudy Gobert on the perimeter. The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year has been great as an anchor for Utah’s defensive scheme. However, he is not adept at continuously defending along the 3-point line. To exacerbate the issue, his teammates aren’t used to adjusting for him being up high and them serving as the backline help.

The Clippers took advantage of all of that. LA shot 71.4 percent from the field, including 14-of-19 (73.7 percent) from 3-point range. Terance Mann, Paul George, and Reggie Jackson combined for 61 points in the half.

Defensively, the Clippers used their switchability to shut down Utah’s offensive attack. The Jazz shot 38.5 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3-point range. In the first half, Donovan Mitchell had 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting while Jordan Clarkson had 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. With the Clippers renewed defensive effort in the second, Mitchell was held to 17 points on 4-of-13 shooting — 4-of-8 from 3, 0-of 5 from inside the arc — while Clarkson was held scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting.

The Clippers advance after facing another 0-2 series deficit. At this point, it’s clear that this team is playing with a different energy than when Doc Rivers was on the sidelines. Tyronn Lue should definitely looked at as one of the league’s best coaches due to saavy and willingness to adjust his gameplan for the situation. As we’ve seen in these playoffs, that amenability is a trait that isn’t readily present in every coach.

Paul George and Reggie Jackson are also due their praise. These two talent, but confounding, individuals have hit their stride in this postseason. For all the chatter that surrounds their play and personalities, they have focused up and have guided this franchise to its first ever conference finals.