Clippers clinch playoff spot with huge win in overtime against Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO -- Take a deep breath yet again, the Clippers are headed to the playoffs as the 5th seed in the Western Conference with their win against the Warriors on Sunday afternoon. 

In an absolute thriller of a game in the Bay Area, the Clippers won 124-119 in overtime to get the biggest win of their season on the road. 

With so many outcomes and so much at stake with either a win or loss, the Clippers were fighting for their playoff lives in game 82. 

But as they have all season, they leaned on their defense and the superb play by their superstar players. 

Kawhi Leonard was absolutely masterful, with 33 points on an insane 13-for-20 shooting in 47 minutes of play. He was sharp and pinpoint in the first half, but just took over in the 4th quarter to keep the Clippers close and ahead. 

Then late, it was his co-star James Harden. Harden finished with 39 tough points and 10 assists on an excellent 13-for-23 shooting in 48 minutes. Harden did have some turnovers but his shooting and playmaking late is what won the Clippers the game in the overtime period. 

Sure, the stars played well, but we often leave out the ancillary pieces that make a team. Ivica Zubac isn't seen as a star to some, but for this Clipper team, he could be the Most Valuable Player. Zubac was a monster once again, tallying another double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds against Draymond Green.

Zubac also had a steal and a block and was once again fantastic on the defensive end. 

One of the players of the game however had to be Kris Dunn. Dunn has been the subject of a lot of criticism over the course of the season, due to his lack of shooting playing off of the superstars. But Dunn just had one of his best offensive games at a time where the Clippers needed him the most. 

Dunn was perfect from the field at 4-for-4 and was also 100% from that three-point range that a lot were worried about. Not to mention, the part of his game that he hangs his hat on: defense. 

Dunn was tasked with being Stephen Curry's main defender, and while that is not an easy job for even some of the league's best defenders, Dunn held his own. He had three steals and hustled around every part of the court to try to hold this lethal Warriors team at bay. 

Even though the Warriors second unit destroyed the Clippers second unit, it really was the pieces around the stars that held the team in place. Derrick Jones Jr. was once again fantastic as he has been all season and Norman Powell made some tough buckets at the end of quarters to give the Clippers the lead and the momentum back. 

That is what this season has been about for the Clippers: picking someone up and digging in defensively. 

Now, after all of the media talk and criticism thrown the Clippers way, they are the 5th seed in the Western Conference and have their second straight 50-win season after many predicted them to be out of the Play-In tournament. 

Not bad for a team that was projected to be a 12 seed.

The Clippers will now face the Denver Nuggets in the first round in an exhilarating matchup and a rematch of the series in the bubble in 2020. 

Here we go...