Denver Nuggets Triumph Over Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7
In an impressive display, the Denver Nuggets secured a commanding 120-101 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, leveraging significant support from their teammates.
The Nuggets, seeded No. 4, swept Memphis in the first round and faced off against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder next, following a week of rest. The two teams had a competitive season series, splitting their matchups at 2-2, with each side claiming a victory on the road.
Meanwhile, the Clippers saw their impressive run come to an end, after having won 18 of their last 21 games while entering the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league.
Nikola Jokic contributed 16 points, along with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Other notable performances included Aaron Gordon with 22 points, Christian Brown adding 21, and Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook matching at 16 each, while Michael Porter Jr. chipped in with 15 points.
Kawhi Leonard was the leading scorer for Los Angeles with 22 points. In contrast, James Harden struggled, finishing with just seven points on two of eight shooting, and Ivica Zubac had a quiet outing with 10 points.
This season had seen the Clippers contend with the Nuggets consistently, having faced a disheartening loss in last year’s Round 2, where a 20-point lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves slipped away as they were poised to pursue their first NBA championship.
After racing ahead by 22 points in Game 4, the momentum shifted following a dunk by Gordon that marked a historic moment for the playoffs, energizing the crowd at Ball Arena while the Clippers faltered.
The Nuggets pulled away significantly during a 17-0 run in the third quarter, as Leonard’s early three-pointer cut the deficit to 58-50. Despite leading 26-21 after the first quarter, Los Angeles was outscored 72-40 in the second and third quarters combined.
Jokic faced foul trouble, picking up his third, fourth, and fifth fouls in quick succession, which sidelined him for the remainder of the game. He watched as his teammates extended the lead further.
Celebrations began early for the Nuggets, especially after Westbrook’s electrifying steal and dunk boosted the score to 107-76. Denver’s interim coach David Adelman opted to clear the bench with a comfortable lead of 111-81 with just over five minutes left. Despite a brief 7-0 run by the Clippers, he reinstated his starters as the clock wound down.
While the Clippers managed to narrow the deficit from 35 points, it wasn’t enough to close the gap significantly, resulting in a 19-point victory for the Nuggets—the largest in Game 7 in their playoff history.
In a display of support, over 100 Clippers fans, organized by team owner Steve Balmer, were present to add noise for the team, marking an extension of “The Wall,” a dedicated group of super fans behind the basket at the Intuit Dome.
Historically, the Nuggets had lost four of their last five close-out games before this victory, highlighting the significance of the win. Interestingly, the Clippers were also on the receiving end of the last Game 7 win by the Nuggets, which occurred in the conference semi-finals during the NBA bubble.
