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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 Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. Clippers stun the world with a win in Game 5

The Clippers headed into their first round matchup with Golden State massive underdogs. Yes, they’d managed to defy expectations in simply getting to this point, but the Warriors are a different type of challenge in the postseason, and only one team had managed to take them past five games since Kevin Durant joined.

The Clippers stole Game 2 with a historic performance, but the Dubs struck right back in winning both games at the Staples Center. With the series standing at 3-1 heading into a Game 5 at the always difficult Oracle Arena, it looked as though the Clippers’ magical season would finally reach its conclusion.

The Warriors were hoping for L.A. to roll over and admit defeat in a series where whatever slim chance they had at winning all but disappeared. They scored 41 in the first quarter, yet the Clippers stood pat with 37. From that moment on, the Dubs were thoroughly outworked at both ends of the floor en route to a disappointing home loss.

L.A. led for all but eight seconds in the second half on its way to a 129-121 victory to force a Game 6. The NBA world was both shocked and amazed. The Clippers were no super-team. They didn’t even have an All-Star. Yet they managed to steal not one, but two games on the road against a Warriors team with the best collection of talent in the league.

A playoff appearance was all the Clippers needed to make their 2018-19 season a successful one. Their second win of the postseason was icing on the cake and spoke volumes to the culture being built as a team that competes at the highest level no matter the circumstances.

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