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1992: Utah Jazz (2nd) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (7th)
- 5-game series; 1st round
- First playoff appearance for Clippers as a western conference member, breaking a 15-year playoff drought that began in 1976
- Game 4 was played in Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA, due to 1992 Los Angeles riots
- Clippers lost in 5 games
- Jazz makes first ever conference finals

1997: Utah Jazz (1st) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (8th)
- 5-game series; 1st round
- Clippers were one of three teams to make playoffs as lottery team, defined as a team with a sub-500 record (36-46, 0.439)
- Clippers had ZERO All-Stars on roster - all of them were role starters or role players
- Clippers lost in 3 games, swept
- Jazz makes first ever NBA Finals

2017: Los Angeles Clippers (4th) vs. Utah Jazz (5th)
- 7-game series; 1st round
- Final year of Lob City (Paul-Griffin) era - DeAndre Jordan FINALLY made an All-Star Game, but too little too late
- Clippers lost in 7 games
- Paul was traded to Rockets after the series, with the Griffin trade to Pistons just a few months later
- Missed playoffs the following season

There was always a franchise-altering event whenever the Clippers and Jazz met each other in the playoffs. The Jazz would have never made their first conference finals in franchise history... had they not drawn the Clippers. The Jazz would have never made back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, let alone their first in 1997... had they not drawn the Clippers. Even in 2017 where the Jazz and Clippers were cannon fodder for Golden State, the matchup that resulted in Utah winning the 1st round still had reverberations: for the Clippers Lob City was broken up, with Chris Paul being shipped to Rockets, Blake Griffin to Pistons, and a rebuild where they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011; as for the Jazz, Gordon Hayward would leave Utah for Boston Celtics, but they got a sweet consolation prize: the drafting of Donovan Mitchell, and a mere four years later, 2 All-Star appearances and 1st seed in the west.

This will be the first time the Clippers and Jazz face each other in the 2nd round. Drawing a Game 7 to ensure the Mavericks had no additional advantage was essential for the Clippers in their mission to keep things as 50/50 as possible. Jalen Rose critiqued that the Clippers had a fear of prosperity, and it showed: whenever the odds were in the Clippers favor, they lost; when the odds were against them, they win. There still remains an identity crisis within the club, one who wants the Clippers to be a superteam like the greats of the past, while the other wants to win as an underdog to honor their tumultuous upbringings. No coach, general manager or owner - not even their special consultant the great Jerry West - was going to get in the Clipper's clash of egos; the job of mediator would be left to the mother of all decisions, Game 7. In other words, the Clippers would want the game to determine the final outcome of their identity. That can't happen anymore.

It's so easy to think of the Lakers as the true enemies of the Clippers - Sterling helped Dr. Jerry Buss buy the Lakers, giving the Clippers a variation of the Curse Of The Bambino once Sterling bought the team from Irv Levin - but I'm now leaning towards the Jazz as their nemesis: the first playoff opponent Clippers ever faced since moving west, lost three straight series to them, and in every meeting a milestone occurred or the landscape of the NBA changed. Tyronn Lue may be 4-0 in Game 7s overall, but that may even get tested with the Clippers record of 0-5 in 2nd round appearances, three of which ending in seven. Clippers may have also mastered some resiliency by way of preventing a 0-3 deficit and automatic series loss, and a 4-2 elimination, but there's always something that happens to them whenever they enter the 2nd round.

A lot is riding on the line. Win the series, and their conference finals debut will feature a chance at atonement for their 3-1 collapse against the Denver Nuggets, or a test of loyalty by way of facing former Clipper savior Chris Paul on Phoenix Suns. Lose the series, and Kawhi Leonard could bolt; the front office and coaching staff will be changed dramatically; the team will enter a rebuilding phase that may last 10 to 20 years, turning Clippers into the Nets 2.0. And if you look at the pattern of the Jazz's first two playoff victories over the Clippers, they got berths - but all their meetings were in the 1st round. Now in the 2nd round, could it be possible that beating the Clippers will result...

...In the Jazz becoming NBA champions?

Welcome to The Ultimatum Playoffs.

We're winning this opening game. We have too much momentum and Kawhi is red hot.

Clemenza wrote:We're winning this opening game. We have too much momentum and Kawhi is red hot.

I'm glad someone else said it. I see us winning this game. I'm like 85% convinced and have a feeling jazz will come out flat.

15% chance we get blown out because of dead legs or they just rain there's while we can't hit ours. I have unwavering confidence in kawhi Leonard that in key stretches of the game, he will deliver.

I hope I'm right.

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I think the small line-up can work extremely well against this line-up. Gobert isn't the type of post presence that punishes you inside on the offensive end. We also can draw him away from the paint on the defensive end and allow more room for Kawhi/PG to operate. I hope we come out strong tonight. These 10:00 E.T. start times are rough though. 9:00 E.T. would have been so much better.

No Conley.

According to T.Lue interview; Serge did not travel with the team, so I guess He's not only out for first game but also 2nd game too. Hello Small ball my old friend.

Captain Ballmer wrote:According to T.Lue interview; Serge did not travel with the team, so I guess He's not only out for first game but also 2nd game too. Hello Small ball my old friend.

I don't think we can count on this guy coming back even if we make it all the way. It's a shame he's supposed to be a key part of our title hope.

Quake Griffin wrote:No Conley.

I don't wish injuries on anyone but big relief in some regard. He's been playing well in the playoffs iirc.

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I wonder if we'll see Conley at all this series. The condensed schedule for this round with so little time off between games might make it harder for him to come back.

MartinToVaught wrote:I wonder if we'll see Conley at all this series. The condensed schedule for this round with so little time off between games might make it harder for him to come back.

I'm surprised there's not even a two day break between city changes. Was hoping clippers could get some rest.

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NippySudz wrote:

MartinToVaught wrote:I wonder if we'll see Conley at all this series. The condensed schedule for this round with so little time off between games might make it harder for him to come back.

I'm surprised there's not even a two day break between city changes. Was hoping clippers could get some rest.

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The Suns/Nuggets schedule is almost as bad (I think they get one two-day break at the end if it goes to Game 7, but that's it). And the league wonders why there's so many injuries.

with Conley out, we HAVE to win this game.

donemilio21 wrote:with Conley out, we HAVE to win this game.

Seriously. Conley is shooting 55% from three in the playoffs so far and averaging 17 pts.

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MartinToVaught wrote:

NippySudz wrote:

MartinToVaught wrote:I wonder if we'll see Conley at all this series. The condensed schedule for this round with so little time off between games might make it harder for him to come back.

I'm surprised there's not even a two day break between city changes. Was hoping clippers could get some rest.

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The Suns/Nuggets schedule is almost as bad (I think they get one two-day break at the end if it goes to Game 7, but that's it). And the league wonders why there's so many injuries.

I hope that series goes seven and the clips can win in 5 or 6 and get some rest. I've day is not enough. Hell I go jogging a couple of miles and still feel it in my legs a day later. I can't imagine high level basketball running miles and miles and jumping.

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Yes, no Conley is a big loss for the Jazz. The Clippers need to capitalize on him being out for Game 1.

NippySudz wrote:

donemilio21 wrote:with Conley out, we HAVE to win this game.

Seriously. Conley is shooting 55% from three in the playoffs so far and averaging 17 pts.

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I hope some scrub doesn't take Conley's role and burn us. It has happened many times before and we need to watch out for that. Conley or no Conley, our mindset should be tough as nails. Step on them early and finish them off. Ride that Dallas momentum.

this will sound pretty not smart, but i want pat bev to get time to hastle joe ingles on the ball if he's going to be bringing the ball up and controlling the offense.

jengmann3 wrote:this will sound pretty not smart, but i want pat bev to get time to hastle joe ingles on the ball if he's going to be bringing the ball up and controlling the offense.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Reminds me of Jeff Fisher wearing a Peyton jersey back when he was still coaching the Titans.