LOS ANGELES - Shortly after Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns celebrated their Western Conference championship on the floor of the Staples Center, Paul George wondered "what if" Kawhi Leonard was healthy.
The LA Clippers ran out of gas and return as their flexible playoff run ended in a 130-103 loss to the Suns in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday.
After the game, George had allowed himself to think about the possibilities, had Leonard not bent his right knee in Game 4 in the previous round against the Utah Jazz.
"We'll move on," George said of what would have happened when Leonard played in the conference finals. "This series will be very different. Talk about being out of one of the best players in the league, yet we were inches away from getting to the next round.
"So, of course it's a 'what if' on this. The fact is we didn't do enough to win, and that's why we're going home."
The Clippers, the only team to pull off a 2–0 deficit twice after the same season, could not force Game 7 against the Suns. Injured and tired feet gripped him. Also Leonard missed the final eight games with his knee injury, the Clippers were center without Ivica Zubac (sprained right MCL) and Serge Ibaka (back surgery).
And he was playing his 15th game in 29 days, as all three of his rounds lasted six games or more.
Still, Clippers coach Tyrone Lew said his players were stunned when they realized in the locker room that the season was finally only two wins away from the NBA Finals.
"It's a shock," said Lew. "I think it's a shock to a lot of people in that locker room. It tells you a lot about the team. No matter who's playing, we still feel like our every night. The pass has a chance to win no matter what the floor. I thought we ran out of gas, and the first thing to do is when you get tired and mentally exhausted. That first half, we did it on the defensive. Made a lot of mistakes, a lot of mistakes from timeouts or just playcalls, just in general; just not mentally."
The Clippers have had their share of defensive breakdowns, and Paul made his old team pay for each one of them. He delivered an excellent second-half performance that was classic CP3, replete with everything that caused him so much pain for opponents. He shot 12 of 16, including all five of his 3-point attempts, and scored 31 of his 41 in the second half.
When he drilled a 3-pointer to push the Suns' lead to 118-92 with a 5:49 in the competition, the Clippers called for a timeout. As Paul went back to the Sans bench, a frustrated Patrick Beverly pushed the Sons point guard back and was kicked out.
Knowing that he has gotten under the Clippers' skin, Paul will celebrate moments later by pumping both of his fists into the air.
George and Leonard could only watch from the bench.
George was great this post season, especially after Leonard went down. The Sons sent some double-team on George, ending Wednesday with 21 points and nine rebounds. Nevertheless, George responded to even his harshest critics with his finest post season, leading the Clippers to their first Western Conference Finals.
"Nothing I didn't already know," George said of what he learned from this postseason. "The narrative of not being my postseason player or all that, I never understood it."
"[But] I came up short again," George later added. "I'm proud of what we did as a team. I'm out to show for this team as a leader and prove anything to get us where we are." It was not. Then came, came in short. My good was not enough. There is room for improvement... I look back. I will reflect."
Going forward, the Clippers will see what Leonard will do with his player substitutes for the 2021-22 season.
The future of point guard Reggie Jackson should also be considered, who emerged as the clutch scorer for the Clippers later this season. The Clippers Have Early Bird Rights on Jackson. However, George said that his good friend has played himself in having too many options for his future.
An emotional Jackson, who has revived his career with the Clippers, tears down his face when asked about his future with the team.
"This year was my best year," said Jackson, who averaged 18.1 points and 41.5% of 3-point shooting in the season after entering Game 6.
"The first thing I said to these people was thank you for saving me," he said. "I appreciate every guy in that locker room. I applaud Paul for getting on that phone last year, at the end of the season — [when I was] talking about a buyout with Detroit.
"I'm grateful for everything I've experienced here; this city makes me feel at home. This organization welcomes me, my quirks, my strengths, my weaknesses; I wonder if I'm still in this I'm playing without a team."
George said the Clippers have all the players to win another title next season, if they are healthy. After melting in the Florida bubble in the second round last year and taking a 3-1 lead, the Clippers' resilience outstripped all "bubble talk" this post season, as Lew put it.
And George and Leonard saw what they were capable of when they were healthy.
"We've built a great relationship," George said. "I think we both have grown up, me and Kavi together. I think we really enjoy being teammates, and we see what we can be and what we can do "
George would later refer to the team's injuries, saying, "I thought this team squeezed everything out of what we had. We squeezed everything out of each other, and I felt like- As the season progressed, we got stronger and better."