Denver lay waste to what remained of the Clippers’ aggressive spirit with a 17-0 run to begin the third quarter, as a part of a 72-40 second and third quarter eruption, to win recreation 7 and advance to the Western Convention semifinals towards the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. Six Nuggets hit double-digits in an anti-climactic recreation that was over nicely earlier than the fourth quarter.
LA’s Kawhi Leonard (22 factors and a pair of blocks) obtained an early enhance from Derrick Jones, Jr (12 factors and three blocks) being within the beginning lineup, nevertheless it lasted scarcely 1 / 4. Ivica Zubac’s (10 factors and 14 rebounds) stalwart protection towards Jokic was noteworthy, however his teammates’ roles as turnstiles muted the middle’s contribution. The Clippers had been let down by a mixed 16 level effort by Harden AND Norm Powell, which barely beat the 15 factors put up by Michael Porter, Jr.
MVP co-candidate Jokic (16 factors, 10 rebounds, and eight assists) climate a “uncommon” off night time, whereas receiving the enhance of watching his teammates stand in for him in the course of the profitable quarters. Westbrook (16 factors, 5 assists, and 5 steals) and Braun (21 factors and 5 rebounds) helped offset a troublesome begin for Jokic and Jamal Murray (16 factors and 5 rebounds). Aaron Gordon (22 factors and 5 assists) excelled once more taking up the function of stifling Leonard whereas flashing an all-around offensive recreation.
Jones, Jr. was inserted into the line-up and made an instantaneous influence to the Clippers’ backside line. The tempo was befitting a recreation 7, because the excessive execution of the prior video games within the collection was largely absent and diminished by the extraordinary defensive effort. Jokic, nonetheless coping with a worthy defensive adversary in Zubac, scattered the ball about for 5 early assists. Whereas Jokic went 0-for-6, LA’s bench contributors – Nic Batum and Bogdan Bogdanovic helped shoot their group into the lead. It was Clippers 26-21 after one.
With Jokic getting valuable relaxation to begin the second, Denver one way or the other pieced a 7-0 run. Braun continued his current two-way influence, whereas Leonard and Harden had been the first supply for LA. Aaron Gordon’s bodily presence prompted Leonard to select up two fouls within the stanza. Denver’s non-stars did an amazing job of hounding LA into longer possessions and fruitless alternatives, and the hosts left the half up 11.
After Leonard’s opened the third with a 3, Jokic’s stepback jumper opened up the floodgates. A Braun WIDE OPEN three. A reverse two-hand dunk for Gordon. Porter, Jr. nook three. Gordon tip-in and block. Porter, Jr. wing three. Gordon pull-up. The Clippers wouldn’t get better from that opening salvo.
Observations
It’s been six years for the reason that Spurs’ final playoff recreation seven. Ungh.
There had higher not be a post-series report about there being ‘injured’ Clippers, just like the disgraceful Lakers did.
Then again, I went straight to the 2017 Sport 6 field rating between the Spurs and Rockets to see Harden’s statline for that recreation…. and dookie.
Gordon had THREE dunks within the third quarter alone.
Former Nugget and Sonic coach George Karl tweeted this in between the primary and second quarters: “Nuggets wanted a harder dude after the sport 7 loss a 12 months in the past. They bought Russ. That is the sport he was delivered to Denver to play.”
Sequence of the Sport #1: After a Clipper miss minutes into the sport, Jokic threw a slant sample like a QB to a streaking Braun for an athletic slam.
Sequence of the Sport #2: Partway by the second interval, Harden sought to search out Leonard in trnasition, however the crosscourt move was swiped by Westbrook, and he fed Aaron Gordon for a two-handed jam.
Sport Rundown
From the onset, Ty Lue put the taller Jones, Jr. on Murray, and the Denver star struggled just a little to generate area. Jones soared for 2 lay-ups and an offensive rebound, whereas Zubac had a detailed proximity rating, too. After a number of misses, Braun hit the Nuggets’ first lengthy shot. Jones’ nook three gave LA a four-point benefit, and he blocked a Murray try on the rim besides. A transition three from the very hobbled Porter, Jr. put Denver into the lead. Leonard, similar to in Sport 6, launched himself in direction of the rim as a substitute of settling for jumpers. Batum hit his first three after he checked in, and Bogdanovic’s capturing helped turned the tables on the Nuggets to seize a 5 level lead after the primary stanza.
Peyton Watson’s second basket – each coming from about two ft out – introduced the Nuggets inside one to begin the seciond interval. The center minutes grew to become a foulfest, and the groups discovered essential offense from the free throw line. Westbrook missed the second of his two free throws and but, nonetheless got here up with the carom to provide his group an additional two factors. A 9-2 run by Denver gave them their first double-digit lead of the night time. Denver used a 37-21 second quarter to carry and nurse an 11 level lead into the half.
LA seemed misplaced because the Nuggets took their time on their second possession of the third quarter, and Braun had sufficient time to see the ball into his hand, measure the gap to the ring, and launch a profitable three with no Clipper inside six ft of him. A 17-2 run by Denver passed off whereas the Clippers seemed like they had been enjoying with concrete of their sneakers. The final two photographs put up by LA went midway down earlier than squibbing out. LA went to the fourth down 27.
