2006 Los Angeles Clippers: A Historic Playoff Win

The Buffalo Braves moved west in 1977 and renamed themselves the Clippers. For three decades, and from San Diego to Los Angeles, they were marked by futility. They only made the playoffs three times and never advanced. The 2006 Los Angeles Clippers were the team that finally broke the drought.

Los Angeles was built around power forward Elton Brand, who averaged 25 points/10 rebounds per game and got some first-place votes in the MVP balloting. Sam Cassell, a 36-year-old veteran, who had rings from his days with Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston, averaged 17 points/6 assists. Cuttino Mobley was a good two-guard who knocked down 15ppg. Chris  Kaman was a 7’0” center who averaged 12 points/10 rebounds. And while Corey Magette missed over half the season, he was good for 17ppg when healthy.

The Clips came roaring out of the gate at 14-5. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were having a breakout year with a young LeBron James. L.A. beat the Miami Heat, who were headed for an NBA title in June. The Clippers knocked off the Phoenix Suns, the eventual 2-seed in the Western Conference.

Losses to the previous year’s Finals teams—the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs—slowed the momentum, and Los Angeles was 16-12 at the end of the calendar year. That was still good for fifth in the West.

January was middling—the Clippers lost to the Dallas Mavericks, who would win the West, to the Suns, and to the crosstown Lakers who also made the playoffs. But the Clips beat the teams they were supposed to and pushed their record to 25-17.

February was up and down, a four-game win streak out East followed by losing six of seven. But a satisfying 102-83 thumping of the Lakers ended the skid. The Clips were 32-23 going into March and fourth in the West.

Los Angeles played good basketball in those early weeks of spring. They knocked off the Spurs 98-85, and the record got as high as 44-30. With the playoffs comfortably sealed, L.A. dropped five of their last eight. They finished the regular season 47-35.

They had the fourth-best record in the West. But the NBA used a different seeding format in 2006. The division winners got the first three seeds. By the time everything was reshuffled based on that, the Clippers ended up as the 6-seed, playing the 3-seed Denver Nuggets. But there’s another twist—the league still gave homecourt advantage to the team with the better record and Denver (the Northwest Division champ) was only 44-38.

Thus, even though Los Angeles had the fourth-best record in the West, they were the 6-seed. And even though they were the 6-seed, they had homecourt advantage over the 3-seed. I hope I made it make sense.

Denver had a potent offense, led by Carmelo Anthony and coached by George Karl, but only ranked 23^rd in the league in defensive efficiency. Nonetheless, Game 1 was a defensive battle. L.A. only shot 44 percent, but they held the Nuggets to 39 percent. Some turnover problems let Denver stay in it, but with Brand’s 21 points leading a balanced attack, the Clippers got an 89-87 win.

They came out roaring in Game 2, building up a 32-13 lead after the first quarter. Mobley knocked down 21, Brand posted a 19/11 line, and Cassell dished out 11 assists. The 98-87 final was not competitive, and Los Angeles held serve at home.

Some bad shooting—38 percent from the floor and 0-for-11 from three-point range—combined with 35 turnovers, doomed the Clippers in a 94-87 loss in Game 3. But they responded in Game 4, holding the Nuggets to 42 percent from the floor. Los Angeles also showcased their depth—Vladimir Radamovic, who had only started 11 games all year, got the nod, and he chipped in 14 points. The L.A. bench outscored their Denver counterparts 47-29, and the Clips rolled to a 100-86 win.

The first playoff series win since moving west was close enough to taste. And Los Angeles sealed the deal in Game 5. They shot 50 percent. Mobley scored 23. Brand controlled the inside with a 21/13 line. Magette came off the bench to knock down 23 points of his own. The Clippers led by six at the half, but pulled away to get an easy 101-83 win. At long last, a postseason party could start.

Another high-octane offense awaited in the second round. This one was from Phoenix, and it’s driver was MVP point guard Steve Nash. The Suns had a lot of weapons, they played at a torrid pace, and they were also on a high—rallying from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Lakers.

The offenses set the tone for Game 1 in the desert. Brand went for 40 and Cassell scored 28. But both teams were pouring it on and shooting well. The Clippers lost 130-123. They tightened the defensive screws in Game 2, keeping the Suns to 46 percent shooting. Los Angeles also attacked the boards, to the tune of a dominating 57-26 advantage. With Brand posting a 27/10 line, the Clippers won 122-97 and seized homecourt advantage.

Brand had a good Game 3, with 20 points/9 rebounds/8 assists. But he didn’t have help in this one, and a 94-91 loss was marked by a bad third quarter. For Game 4, Los Angeles again brought the defensive and rebounding effort in a pressure spot. They forced the Suns into 37 percent from the floor and finished with a 55-37 edge on the glass. Brand’s numbers were 30 points/9 rebounds/8 assists. Cassell finished with an exquisite 28/11/9 line. Magette scored 18 and hauled down 15 rebounds. A 114-107 win evened up the series.

Game 5 in Phoenix would be a classic. Brand scored 33 points and had 15 rebounds. Cassell poured in 32. The Clippers ran with the Suns and forced double-overtime. But they only shot 41 percent, compared to 46 percent for Phoenix. In the end, that was the difference in a 125-118 loss.

The season was on the line in Game 6. And for the third time this series, Los Angeles followed a loss by playing hard on defense and attacking the glass. They had a dominating 48-28 edge on the boards and held the Suns to 44 percent. Even better, Los Angeles sizzled on offense and shot 62 percent. Brand came through yet again with a 30-point night. The 118-106 win forced a decisive seventh game.

Monday night in Phoenix was where it all went down. L.A. shot well, at 53 percent. But the Suns were hotter, at 60 percent, and Phoenix was hitting from behind the arc. Brand’s magnificent postseason run continued, with 36 points/9 rebounds. But it wasn’t enough. The Clippers were down 15 after three quarters and lost 127-107.

It was still a historic year and a success by any reasonable metric. Except one—the success of 2006 was not built upon. The franchise immediately reverted to form and missed the playoffs each of the next five years. They won a playoff series again in 2012 with a different cast. It took until 2021 for the Clippers to finally reach the conference finals. And the first NBA Finals appearance is still missing.