Bloody end: Austin Rivers gets the worst of Clips' season-ending loss
PORTLAND, Ore. — Damian Lillard scored 28 points and the Portland Trail Blazers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by holding off the resilient Los Angeles Clippers 106-103 on Friday night to claim the first-round playoff series 4-2.
Portland will open the series against the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
CJ McCollum added 20 points for the Blazers, who became the first team to overcome a 2-0 deficit since Memphis came back against the Clippers in the first round in 2013.
Jamal Crawford had 32 points and Austin Rivers added 21 points and eight assists despite having 11 stitches above his left eye from a collision in the first quarter. But the Clippers could not recover from injuries to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in Game 4 of the series.
"It's mixed emotions right now," Rivers said, his left eye swollen shut. "I'm very sad, I'm very disappointed, but I'm also very proud."
Austin Rivers is live at the podium on NBA TV after 21 points and 11 stitches in the Game 6 loss. pic.twitter.com/fb811ZzXaa
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 30, 2016
Rivers left with a bloody cut above his left eye after a collision with Portland's Al-Farouq Aminu midway through the first quarter. He was escorted to the locker room by trainers but returned before the end of the first half.
Rivers started Game 6 in the absence of Paul, who broke a bone in his right hand earlier in the series. The Clippers were also without Griffin, who was also lost earlier in the series after he reinjured his left quad.
Rivers, the son of Clippers coach Doc Rivers, was averaging 8.2 points in the series.
Los Angeles didn't surrender easily in the final game, never allowing Portland a double-digit lead.
"This team had more heart than any other team I've coached," Doc Rivers said.
The Blazers appeared to pull away when McCollum's 3-pointer made it 98-91 with 4:49 left, but the Clippers persisted. Already plagued by injuries, the Clippers lost DeAndre Jordan to what looked like a sprained right ankle before Los Angeles closed to 98-95 on J.J. Redick's jumper.
McCollum's 3-pointer put Portland up 101-95 with 2:16 left. Again the Clippers clawed back, pulling within 103-101 on Redick's layup with just under a minute left. Crawford tied it with free throws but Mason Plumlee was fouled by Jeff Green under the basket for free throws to make it 105-103.
Mason Plumlee of the Portland Trail Blazers celebrates after his teammate scores.
Crawford missed a 6-foot jumper and Plumlee made the second of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left for the final margin. Rivers' 42-foot hurl at the buzzer fell short.
Portland will face a Golden State team that is dealing with its own injury issue: Reigning MVP Stephen Curry continues to rehab his sprained right knee. There is no official word on when he might return.
The Clippers were ultimately doomed by untimely injuries to their top two scorers.
Paul broke a bone in his right hand in the third quarter of the Clippers' Game 4 loss at Portland. The Clippers' nine-time All-Star was averaging 23.8 points and 7.3 assists in the series before he was hurt. He had surgery the next day and the Clippers declared him out indefinitely.
In the same game, Blake aggravated the left quad injury that sidelined him for 41 games this season. He was averaging 15 points, 8.8 rebounds and four assists in the playoffs.
After dropping the first two, the Blazers took a 3-2 lead with a 108-98 victory at the Staples Center on Wednesday night. Doc Rivers tinkered with his starting lineup in the absence of Paul and Griffin, inserting Crawford, Rivers and Paul Pierce.
On Friday, he started Luc Mbah a Moute and Green, while Crawford and Pierce went to the bench.
The Clippers got another scare midway through the first quarter when Rivers sustained a cut above his left eye in a collision with Portland's Al-Farouq Aminu midway through the first quarter. Rivers returned before the end of the half after getting 11 stitches.
Austin Rivers on the floor after taking an elbow to the face. He's back in the locker room now. pic.twitter.com/zi6QgEVXmC
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 30, 2016
Clippers guard Austin Rivers lays injured on the court against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half in Game 6 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter.
Crawford picked up the slack in his absence and had 22 points in the half. But Lillard and McCollum countered with a combined 25 and the Blazers led 50-48 at the break.
Redick hit a 3-pointer that put the Clippers up 58-53 early in the third. Aminu and Lillard countered with 3s and neither team could push the margin to more than five points.
Rivers' 3-pointer put the Clippers ahead 77-75 late in the third, but the lead was short-lived when Lillard hit a 3 for Portland. Crawford's jumper and Jordan's dunk gave Los Angeles an 81-78 lead.
CRAWFORD'S FUTURE
Crawford's 32 points were a playoff high for the 15-year NBA veteran. Now he heads into the offseason as a free agent. He said he'd like to stay in Los Angeles.
"This feels like home. This feels like my brothers in the locker room: I would like to continue my career with the Clippers," he said.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Redick started all six games despite a heel injury that reportedly has bothered him throughout the series.
Trail Blazers: Pro golfer Peter Jacobsen, a Portland native, made three straight free throws for a contest during a first-half timeout. ... Toronto FC and U.S. national team forward Jozy Altidore was among the fans at the game.
