Perhaps the Clippers’ penchant for digging themselves into a hole will bite them at some point in the 2021 postseason, but as Monday night once again proved, perhaps no team left in these playoffs is better equipped to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy come July.
The Nets could be on the brink of elimination after Tuesday, with Kyrie Irving and James Harden’s return anything but guaranteed. Neither the Bucks nor the 76ers are proven playoff commodities. As for the Western Conference, the Suns are no juggernaut, and the Jazz will now return to Utah following a 118-104 defeat on Monday night.