Kawhi Leonard's LA Clippers reasserting themselves in topsy-turvy Western Conference

For a few days there, the unimaginable seemed possible in Los Angeles.

With the Los Angeles Lakers out of the playoffs, the LA Clippers needed to win back-to-back elimination games against the Dallas Mavericks to avoid disaster for both West Coast fan bases.

As it turned out, Kawhi Leonard & Co. averted that crisis, capped by a sensational, 126-111 win in Sunday's Game 7.

Leonard came alive in the pair of do-or-die situations.

In Friday's Game 6, he orchestrated a 45-point masterpiece in a 104-97 win in Dallas.

In that contest, Leonard shot a blistering 72.0% from the field and 55.6% from beyond the arc, bulwarked by 20 points and 25 points from Paul George and Reggie Jackson, respectively, to force a Game 7.

Leonard delivered an encore in Sunday's Game 7.

He fell just one assist short of a triple-double, racking up 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the decisive game. 

True to his nickname, "The Klaw" swiped four steals ⁠— the same number the Mavericks had as a whole in Game 7.

Keep in mind, the Clippers started this series down 0-2 after dropping Games 1 and 2 in Los Angeles.

They evened the series with two wins in Dallas before finding themselves with their backs against the wall after a loss in Game 5. It was shades of déjà vu all over again, considering they bombed out early in the 2020 playoffs.

So while a first-round win for a team that fancies itself a title contender isn't an earth-shattering development, it still has some major implications, especially with LeBron James out of the picture.

Mainly, are the Clippers now the favorites out of the Western Conference?

Skip Bayless of "Undisputed" said he believes so, despite his writing them off after they fell apart early against the Mavs.

The depth Bayless mentioned played a key role in LA's survival, which calls for another look at the series against the Mavs.

While Leonard and George did their thing, numerous other contributors threw their weight around. A total of seven Clippers scored in double figures in Game 7, including an outstanding outing from Marcus Morris Sr., who went 7-for-10 from distance and had 23 points.

In fact, Shannon Sharpe credited the role players, more than the dynamic duo, for LA's success.

With the way Luka Dončić was playing, Leonard's and George's contributions were essentially canceled out by Dallas' young superstar.

Dončić averaged 35.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game against the Clippers, shooting 49.0% from the field and 40.0% from distance.

He led all scorers in Game 7 with 46 points, but his efforts were all for naught, as he found very little help from his supporting cast.

That's where the likes of Jackson, Morris and others made the difference for LA.

But Nick Wright of "First Things First" said he still believes the bulk of the credit goes to two men: Leonard and Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue.

In Wright's mind, Leonard delivered on both ends of the floor, while Lue pulled all the appropriate strings over the course of the series to put his team in position to succeed.

Brandon Marshall also gave kudos to Leonard and Lue, showering them with praise on Monday's episode of "First Things First."

He echoed Bayless' thoughts regarding the Clippers' standing out West, saying it's LA's "conference to lose."

As for the oddsmakers, FOX Bet's insights have the Clippers in the running in the Western Conference at +175, but the Utah Jazz are the slight favorites, at +162. 

It's safe to say that whichever team emerges from the Jazz-Clippers series will hold a distinct advantage in the eyes of the oddsmakers in the Western Conference finals against the Phoenix Suns or Denver Nuggets.

Then again, a lot can change in just a few days.

Just ask the Clippers.

For more up-to-date news on all things Clippers, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!