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Los Angeles Clippers: Top 10 moments of the 2018-19 NBA season

By Daniel Lubofsky

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 15: Danilo Gallinari #8 of the LA Clippers high-fives Lou Williams #23 of the LA Clippers against the Chicago Bulls on March 15, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 15: Danilo Gallinari #8 of the LA Clippers high-fives Lou Williams #23 of the LA Clippers against the Chicago Bulls on March 15, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

6. Sweet Lou does it again against the Nets

The Brooklyn Nets came to town for a mid-March battle with the Clippers. By that point in time, both sides had essentially locked up unforeseen playoff berths, yet still found themselves jostling for seeding as the regular season had less than a month to go.

With a firm belief in its ability to advance, L.A. wasn’t just looking to get into the postseason. Had the season ended prior to that game, however, L.A. would’ve been locked into the vaunted 1-8 matchup with the two-time defending champion Warriors.

For as well as the Clips still managed to play them in the playoffs, it was a matchup they would’ve preferred to avoid. Golden State’s playoff track record is nearly stainless, while the 2-seeded Denver Nuggets were polar opposites, a fresh postseason face with little experience. The Clippers sat just half a game out of the 7-seed, making every game down the stretch — especially at home — that much more important.

The game against Brooklyn came down to the wire, where L.A. had the ball with the game tied and just 5.3 seconds remaining. A win and the Clippers would climb up the standings, while a loss would keep them stationary.

After the inbounds pass went to Gallo, he dished it off to Lou Williams in the exact spot where he first made his move against Milwaukee. This time, he made a sharp cut to the top of the key and pulled up from well beyond the 3-point line.

https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1107486980349329409

If there’s any method of defending Williams, the most important aspect is to take away his ability to go left. Despite being right-handed, there’s a certain balance he has when fading in the opposite way that has killed opponents time and time again.

He shot the ball over an outstretched Spencer Dinwiddie, who is no small man at 6’6”. The ball hit nothing but nylon as the buzzer blared through the building. L.A. still wound up matched up against the Warriors as the 8-seed, but the shot served a purpose for a team late in the season looking for any sort of momentum to build off of down the stretch.

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