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The NBA Playoffs are the stage for teams to perform their best. The top eight teams from each conference go head-to-head in a seven-game series that potentially decides the victor.
The intensity of the NBA Playoffs is undoubtedly on another level. Every advantage is crucial. With adrenaline pumping, the playoffs are the crucible in which legends are born.
The 2020-2021 NBA season saw a return to what playoff atmospheres are like. Due to the pandemic, the experience of the playoffs was somewhat dulled when the NBA Restart took place in the Bubble outside of Orlando, Florida.
As the 2021 NBA Playoffs went into full swing, we witnessed the effect home crowds can play in each game. With each team feeding off the energy the fans brought, the intensity of their play spoke loud and clear.
With some sensational performances in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, a constant question comes to mind. Some stars missed games, while other teams came up short in an unfortunate turn of events. What if things had been different?
Bearing that in mind, we aim to take a look at five "what if" moments from the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
#1 What if Anthony Davis stayed healthy for the LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns series?
Anthony Davis is the LA Lakers superstar big man. Averaging 21.8 points and 7.9 rebounds, Davis is a key member of the Lakers starting lineup and the focus of their offense in half-court sets.
Anthony Davis was a crucial part of why the Lakers won a ring the previous season, having him healthy against the Phoenix Suns was a necessity.
While the Lakers fell to the Suns in the first game of the NBA Playoffs, the Lakers rallied together to win two consecutive games. Davis displayed some great numbers, getting 34 points and 10 rebounds in Game Two, and 34 points and 11 rebounds in Game Three. The Lakers showed new signs of life as the series progressed.
Calamity struck in Game Four as Davis left at half-time due to a groin injury. The injury would also see him miss Game Five. Although he did try to play in Game Six, his return was short lived and had to leave the game again. The Lakers lost the series 4-2.
With Anthony Davis playing to his potential, the Purple and Gold won consecutive games. This begs the question of how things would have been different had he been healthy.
#2 What if Kevin Durant had his feet behind the three-point line in Game Seven against the Milwaukee Bucks?
The Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets NBA Playoffs series was a battle. Both teams went at each other with everything they had. Their superstars, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, put on a spectacle in the final game of the Eastern Conference Finals.
A thriller from start to finish, Durant put on an offensive clinic against the Bucks in Game Seven, scoring 48 points for the game. Down two points with six seconds in the fourth quarter, Durant threw up a potential game winner that went in from deep.
When the shot went in, Barclays Center erupted. But it was ruled a two-pointer because of Durant's foot being on the line. This forced a tie-game situation with one second left on the clock. Eventually going into overtime, the Bucks would come out of this series as victors.
With the notion of his foot being mere centimeters over the line, had the shot been a successful three-pointer, the likelihood of the Bucks winning this series is very low. The likelihood of the Nets winning that series, had Durant's foot been behind the line, would have been almost definite.
#3 What if Kawhi Leonard is healthy against the Phoenix Suns?
In the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the LA Clippers faced off against the Utah Jazz. The Jazz were the number one ranked team in the Western Conference.
Although the Clippers beat the Jazz in seven games, it saw Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the rest of the postseason. Leonard suffered a knee injury in Game Four against the Jazz, forcing him out of the series.
Kawhi Leonard is one of the top five players in the league. Even with his passive personality, he is an assassin on the floor and makes an impact on both ends. With a tried and tested championship pedigree, the Clippers would have definitely benefited from having him on the court in the series.
#4 What if Kyrie Irving doesn't get injured in Game Four against the Milwaukee Bucks?
Coming back to the Nets vs. Bucks semifinal matchup, there is another factor that shifted the tide in the Bucks' favor that is hard to overlook. Kyrie Irving getting injured in Game Four.
The Nets took a comfortable 2-0 lead, winning their first two games at home. A blow-out performance in Game Two showed favorable signs for the Nets. However, Milwaukee showed signs of life with a close win in Game Three. Game Four saw the series potentially blow up.
Suffering an injury midway through the second quarter, Kyrie Irving missed the rest of the series. Prior to this injury, Irving had put up key performances in the series. Contributing 25 points in Game One and 22 points in Game Two, Irving put up solid numbers which ensured Brooklyn's wins.
Although Brooklyn lost one of their superstars, Durant played some heroic basketball as he kept the Nets' championship hopes alive. Had Irving been healthy, many believe that the Nets would have gone on to win the NBA Championship.
#5 What if Paul George makes the two clutch free throws against the Phoenix Suns?
With their superstar sidelined by injury, Paul George had to carry the majority of the load while keeping the postseason run alive.
Paul George kept the Clippers alive in the closing seconds of Game Two, giving them the lead with 21.8 seconds on the clock. With a botched possession by Phoenix, the whole situation boiled down to two free throws. Making them would mean a three point lead with 8.2 seconds left on the clock for the Suns to make a game-tying shot.
Unfortunately, George would go on to miss both free throws and Phoenix would grab the rebound and call timeout. Missing their first chance to score but still having possession of the ball, Phoenix would produce a miracle play to win the game with only 0.9 seconds on the clock.
Having lost the first game in Phoenix, the Clips had a chance to tie the series at 1-1. A tied series going to Staples Center would have been a momentum shifter. While it is unlikely that the Clippers would win the series, making those free throws could have altered the order of things.
This brings up a point from last year when Paul George and Patrick Beverly went at Damian Lillard over missed free throws in a game against the Clippers. Portland would lose 122-117 as Lillard missed two clutch free throws. With the feud spilling over to Instagram, Paul George missing from the charity stripe in the playoffs can be seen as instant too.
