Denver Nuggets Outplay Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7, Securing NBA Playoffs Match against Oklahoma City Thunder
Rewritten Article:
The Denver Nuggets stomped the shellshocked Los Angeles Clippers, securing a 120-101 victory in Game 7 last Saturday. Denver's scoring spree put the pedal to the metal and left the Clippers in the dust.
The Nuggets held a commanding lead of up to 35 points, a feat that, although doesn't make up for last year's heartbreaking loss against Minnesota in Game 7 of their Round 2 series, certainly helped exorcise some demons. Interim coach David Adelman acknowledged the victory, yet remained focused on the task at hand: facing the rested Oklahoma City Thunder.
Adelman's buddy aptly reminded him that the reward for surviving this grueling series with the Clippers was a date with the unstoppable Oklahoma City Thunder, who boasted an NBA-best 68-14 record in the regular season. After a week of rest, the Thunder are ready to sweep the Nuggets into the next round, which kicks off Monday night.
The Nuggets and Thunder split their season series 2-2, and if Denver can repeating their Game 7 performance, this series could be a nail-biter too.
Nikola Jokic managed a respectable 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, but he was outshined by his teammates. Aaron Gordon led the charge with 22 points, while Christian Braun and Jamal Murray chipped in 21 and 16 points respectively. Michael Porter Jr. contributed 15 points to the victory.
For a change, Jokic wasn't the standout, with his teammates stepping up to the plate. "In playoffs, we know that everybody needs to step up, offensively, defensively, whatever, energy-wise. And everybody who plays needs to contribute something," Jokic explained. "It was special today the guys did that."
Defensive whiz kid Braun poured his energy into containing James Harden, limiting him to a measly 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting. "Everybody behind me allowed me to guard him," Braun said, givingprops to Westbrook for his assistance. "But I think maybe the biggest part was Russ," Braun added. "He's played against James, he's played with James, so he knows his game."
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 22 points, while Ivica Zubac had one of his quietest games of the series, scoring only 10 points. "I don't think this team was 30 points better than us," Leonard conceded. "We saw that throughout the first six games of this series, but you've got to give them credit. They came out, ran hard in transition, got easy points, and they made shots."
Hanging over the Nuggets' heads all season was last year's Game 7 fiasco, a missed opportunity to defend the franchise's first NBA championship. Despite earlier heartbreak, the Nuggets and their Ball Arena crowd reveled in the growing lead rather than succumbing to anxiety as the Clippers missed shot after shot. The Nuggets outscored LA 72-40 in the second and third quarters, blowing the game wide open with a 17-0 run in the third quarter.
After picking up three, four, and five fouls in rapid succession in the third quarter, Jokic took a well-deserved break on the bench. The Nuggets began celebrating early in the fourth quarter when Westbrook, in a show of camaraderie, took a technical for swinging on the rim after a steal and breakaway dunk put Denver up 107-76.
A gang of more than 100 Clippers fans flown in by team owner Steve Ballmer provided extra noise behind one of the baskets. They were initially loud during the first quarter, but their cheers faded as the game progressed and the Nuggets began to dominate.
As they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, the Nuggets will undoubtedly draw on the momentum from Saturday's well-deserved victory. The question remains: can they reproduce that performance against a formidable Oklahoma City team who have finished the regular season undefeated at home and with the best record in the league? Only time will tell.
- In the NBA, the Denver Nuggets, led by interim coach David Adelman, are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who boast an impressive 68-14 regular season record, following their 120-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
- The Nuggets' victory over the Clippers in Game 7, which saw them outscore LA 72-40 in the second and third quarters, creates optimism for Adelman and his team as they prepare to face the Thunder, especially since they split their season series 2-2.
- During the game against the Clippers, defensive whiz kid Christian Braun, contributed significantly by limiting James Harden to 7 points, with help from teammates such as Westbrook.
- However, the Nuggets will need to reproduce their stellar performance from Game 7 if they hope to overcome the Thunder, who are riding a wave of rest and momentum after a strong regular season.
