Rowan Kavner 
Digital Content Coordinator
PORTLAND, Ore. – Austin Rivers looked more like he just finished four rounds in boxing than four quarters of a basketball game. J.J. Redick hobbled for four quarters, fighting through a sore heel that’s bothered him all series. DeAndre Jordan, fighting for an offensive rebound in the final minutes, slowly limped back to the sideline before returning to the floor.
The amount of injuries the Clippers dealt with in just one series was almost unthinkable, already losing Chris Paul (hand) and Blake Griffin (quad) in Game 4 for the foreseeable future, and they could’ve booked it in when they trailed by five points in the third. They could’ve booked it in again when they trailed by six both early and late in the fourth.
Instead, the banged-up, severely depleted Clippers fought for every last second in an elimination Game 6, before eventually falling just short in the game, the series and the season in a 106-103 loss.
Rivers, who received 11 stitches after taking an inadvertent elbow from Al-Farouq Aminu in the first quarter, returned in the second quarter and ended up finishing with 21 points, his second-most in a postseason game after a 25-point performance against Houston last year.
The Clippers needed that scoring from him, as well as his eight assists and six rebounds, to keep it close. They needed a postseason career-high 32 points from Jamal Crawford to keep it close. They needed superior contributions from everyone who stepped on the court, which included 11 players by game’s end.
And, for nearly full four quarters, that’s what they got.
Portland’s seven 3-pointers in the third quarter could’ve been a backbreaker, yet the Clippers still outscored Portland by four points in the quarter to take a two-point lead to the fourth with plenty of help from Rivers, who persevered through the eye injury for 14 third-quarter points.
Early in the fourth, the Blazers took their largest lead of the game at six, and the Clippers stayed close. Then, trailing by six points again with only 1:32 remaining, Redick and Crawford helped tie the game back up.
But, the offensive glass was a problem early on for the Clippers, who allowed a season-high 15 offensive rebounds to the Blazers in the first half. And, after a C.J. McCollum miss with 14 seconds left, Mason Plumlee got in position for an offensive rebound and drew a foul on Jeff Green on a ball up for grabs.
Plumlee hit both at the line, and a shot from Crawford at the other end came up short. The Clippers fouled Plumlee again on the rebound, and he only made 1-of-2, giving the Clippers a chance for a half-court heave to tie.
The floater from way downtown by Rivers came up short, and that ended up being the last attempt this season for the Clippers, who dropped the series, 4-2.
Key Moment: When the final buzzer rang. The Clippers fought back from just about everything – the countless injuries, the barrage of Portland 3-pointers in the second half, the offensive rebounding struggles while playing small – and it wasn’t until the Clippers’ final attempt fell just short on a half-court heave that would’ve sent the game to overtime that the Clippers could finally be counted out.
Clippers Star: Austin Rivers – He was bleeding profusely, even after he returned from an elbow many may not have come back from, yet he ended up scoring 14 points in the third quarter and recording the second-highest points of his postseason career. The Clippers needed him to return, just as much for his defense as the only point guard remaining on the team with size, and Rivers came through.
Trail Blazers Star: Damian Lillard – With the Clippers’ superstars out, Portland’s stars took over. Lillard had 28 points, seven assists and five rebounds, while McCollum added 20 points.
X-Factor: Role players – For the Clippers, it was Crawford with 32 points – the most by any reserve in Clippers postseason history. For the Blazers, it was a handful of players hitting from long distance. Portland finished with 14 3-pointers, a bit of an outlier as neither team was particularly sharp from deep throughout the series, as Maurice Harkless and Allen Crabbe made a noticeable impact.
Quotes of the Day:
Doc Rivers – “It’s emotional, a lot of tears. From a coaching standpoint, you love that. I tell my guys every year, at least the teams I think have a chance, you have to be willing to get your heart broken to be a champion, and you have to do it over and over again. When that happens and you don’t win it, your heart’s broken. And we had a bunch of guys in the locker room today with their heart broken, but it was worth it. It was worth the journey.”
Austin Rivers – “A lot of people doubted us. A lot of people think we wouldn’t be able to fight. We showed a lot of heart. We went out there and believed in each other and we were a play away from going to overtime. It’s mixed emotions right now – I’m sad and disappointed, but at the same time, I’m very proud of my teammates.”
Jamal Crawford – “When you lose your two best players the same game, you get what you can and live with the results. We battled, we competed, we gave it everything we had. That’s a credit to Doc and a credit to the guys in the locker room.”
NOTES: Paul Pierce said afterward he’s “50-50” on whether he will return next season and said he doesn’t want it to be an emotional decision … Crawford said the Clippers feel like home and the players in the locker room feel like “brothers,” and he’d love to continue his career with the team … There were 19 lead changes and 10 ties in Game 6, with neither team ever leading by more than seven points … DeAndre Jordan had 15 points and 20 rebounds in the loss, giving him back-to-back games with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds for the first time in his playoff career …