Los Angeles, California - Well, the Los Angeles Clippers did it. They really did it, and they got it all done without superstar Kawhi Leonard. Four straight wins over the Utah Jazz in this series booked LA the tickets to the franchise’s first Western Conference finals.

After an unbelievable second-half comeback, the Clippers won out 131-119 against the Jazz and sent home the NBA’s overall number one seed.

Terance Mann (26) had a memorable night, scoring 39 points in just 36 minutes, setting an overall career-high. Paul George added 28 points, and Reggie Jackson stepped up with 27 to take down the Jazz, clinching the series at home in front of a fanbase that waited 51 years for this team to get this far in the playoffs.

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For a while, this outcome didn't really look on the cards. The Jazz started the game shooting lights-out in the first half with an assault of three-pointers, putting up 72 during that time. They took the crowd out of it early and looked well on their way to a possible game seven back in Utah. Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell led the way with 22 of his 39 total points in the first half as well.

But the Clippers showed that they too had long-range firepower of their own with 14 threes in the second half. LA shot the ball so well, it would make Steph Curry jealous. Quarter number three alone had nothing but threes, it seemed, as the Clippers played like they couldn’t be bothered with trying for two-point shots.

They completely flipped the script on Utah, scoring 81 points in a second half comeback for the ages and completing a playoff upset that hardly any basketball fan saw coming.

For Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard has missed the last two games with a sprained knee and there's no official timetable for his return. The Suns are missing their best player in Chris Paul, who has been forced out of the lineup due to Covid-related restrictions. He too is held back with an unknown return date.

Since two of the league’s best are out during the most important time so far in the postseason, the series could go to the team who can best step up to plug its respective gap.

The Clippers head down to the desert in Phoenix for game one of the Western Conference finals against the Suns, on Sunday.