Lakers were laughing as Clippers blew their 3-1 lead: Jared Dudley

Throughout the 2019-20 season, the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers were considered top contenders for the current NBA title. When both teams made it to the playoffs, fans were excited for a Los Angeles teams showdown during the Western Conference Finals. However, the Clippers "choked", blew their 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets and were eliminated. The team faced backlash following their disappointing loss as they once again failed to make it to the NBA conference finals. 

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Jared Dudley reveals the Lakers laughed after Clippers blew their 3-1 lead

After the Lakers win, veteran Jared Dudley appeared on Bill Simmons' podcast. While talking about the Clippers, Dudley revealed that the Lakers shared a laugh after the Clippers lost the conference semifinals. As many reports and analysts had predicted Clippers as the winners, the Lakers enjoyed the Clippers being eliminated. 

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“We were laughing at this thing like ‘I can’t believe it!’" Dudley said. He added that no one thought the Clippers were going to lose. "All on our mind was, we gotta beat the Clippers," he added, stating that the Clippers wanted them, and they wanted the Clippers. Every time they practised, Dudley revealed, a KAwhi Lwoanrd billboard was looking at them. However, they saw both Paul George and Leonard struggling, like they did not want to be in the bubble. "And I don’t blame them, but the world needed to see the Lakers and Clippers go at it.”

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While everyone from Kawhi Leonard to Doc Rivers – who left the team following their exit – accepted their mistake, Paul George stated that they did not consider this a championship run. Others ended up agreeing that the team lacked chemistry and needed to be better to win a title. Fans expressed their disappointed on social media, even going as far as bruning Paul George's jersey after the loss. 

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The Lakers ended up facing the Denver Nuggets for the Conference Finals, beating them 4-1 to meet the Miami Heat for the Finals. Though the Heat managed to win two games, the Lakers prevailed in the 4-2 series, winning their first NBA title since 2010. LeBron James scored game-high 28 points during Game 6, also winning his fourth NBA championship and Finals MVP award.  

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(Image credits: AP, Clippers Instagram)