While the sports world delighted in the glorious start of the NFL, anguished Clippers supporters watched their team collapse in the second half of game 6 of the Western Conference semifinal-blowing their second consecutive 16 point second-half lead. Only four Clippers recorded field goals in the second half, and the Nuggets outscored the Clippers 64-35 in the final 24 minute stretch holding them to 26.3 field goal percentage cruising their way to a 111-98 upset win.
Heading into the weekend, the Clippers held a 3-1 series advantage over the Denver Nuggets, and they were on the verge of their first Western Conference Finals appearance for the first time in their 50 year franchise history. Suddenly, the Clippers are staring at a win or take all game 7 with all their chips on the line. The Clippers are now in jeopardy of blowing their second 3-1 playoff series lead in six years. It’s officially time to panic Clipper’s nation.
If the Clippers lose Tuesday’s night grudge match, it would be the biggest disappointment in the history of a franchise that only knows misery. The Clippers came in the season with huge expectations as the Lakers’ co-favorites to win the NBA championship. People will view the Clippers season as a failure if they don’t reach the conference finals. But the Clippers have a chance to redeem themselves by winning game seven and avoiding a massive choke job.
As much as the Clippers have choked the last two games, the Nuggets deserve credit for playing extremely well. They have risen farther from being a young team with a feel-good performance in the bubble. The Nuggets have proven they belong in the NBA championship conversation. They have put themselves in a position where they are one game away from earning the right to play the Lakers for the Western Conference crown. With a win on Tuesday, the Nuggets would be the first NBA history team to overcome multiple 3-1 series deficits in the same playoffs.
The Nuggets have been relentlessly resilient in their two comeback attempts against the Clippers. Despite being down, the Nuggets have simply played both second halves with more energy and have played more free while the Clippers have tensed up down the stretch. In this series, Nikola Jokic has proven he is a superstar in this league. The Nugget’s big man has dominated this postseason averaging 26 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting 52% from the field and shooting a ridiculous 46% from three. Jokic has dominated inside when LA has gone small at the 5, and Zubac is essentially giving Jokic open threes whenever he wants to stretch the floor. Jokic is a mismatch the Clippers seem to have zero answers. In addition to Jokic, Murray has been a consistent offensive threat the last two contests, scoring 21 & 26 while shooting 6-9 from three. Also, Gary Harris has been useful as a two-way player, and Micheal Porter has been an offensive mismatch on the wing. Nuggets are playing with extreme confidence, and coach Malone is putting them in a position to succeed. The Nuggets are more than capable of winning this game.
Here Are Three Things that Need to Happen for the Clippers to Advance past the Nuggets.
Kawhi Domination:
Kawhi Leonard was born to dominate game 7s. Last season, Kawhi’s game-winning baseline mid-range jumper against the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinal was the first buzzer-beater to win a game 7 in NBA history. The Clippers rather not have the game come down to a final shot, but they have the guy on their roster who is confident taking it. In that game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal against the 76ers last year, Kawhi scored 41 of the Raptors 92 points, and he held Jimmy Butler to 5-14 shooting on the other end of the floor. The Clippers are going to need a similar dominating performance Tuesday. Kawhi has been consistently good in this series averaging 26 points on nearly 45% shooting, but the Clippers will need their star to find an extra gear. Kawhi has some unexpected cold spurts during key moments of this series, most notably in the third quarter of game two, and the 4th quarter of game 6; Kawhi made a combined three field goals in both quarters. Both games, Denver made significant runs and ended up winning the game comfortably. Nuggets have done a pretty decent job guarding Kawhi. But the Nuggets don’t have a wing defender that has a chance to slow Leonard down if he’s in rhythm. If Kawhi can be a dominating force offensively by making threes and make some of the mid-range jumpers that he continued missed in game 6, the Clippers should extend their stay in the bubble.
Doc Needs to Shorten Harrell’s Minutes and Replace him with JaMychal Green:
If Montrez Harrell struggles on any end of the floor, Doc needs to adjust his small-ball lineup. Harrell was a woeful -19 on the floor in Game 6. You can’t have a similar performance in a Game 7. Clipper’s simply can’t win when Harrell plays like that. This year’s 6th man of the year has had a horrible series so far. Whenever Harrell enters the game, Denver’s energy seems to elevate. It’s becoming obvious Denver is systematically exploiting Harrell on both ends of the court. All of Denver’s major runs have started when Harell was in the game at the 5. Harrell has the talent to make solid contributions on the floor, but his mental focus has not been sharp in the bubble. Doc needs to hold him to a short leash. With Green replacing Harrell, the Clippers could add another shooter to space the floor, and gain a smart player on the defensive end who will not make lousy basketball plays.
Help from other Role Players:
Throughout the season, the Clippers have been labeled as the team with the most depth of any NBA team. They have an arsenal of role players from Pat Beverly, Marcus Morris, Ivaca Zubac, Lou Williams, and Landry Shamet. Unfortunately, none of them have been good for consistent stretches during this series. The Clippers will need one or two of these guys to step up on both ends of the court to keep pressure off George and Kawhi.
Prediction Clippers Fan Prepare for Agony
This is the most important game in Clipper’s franchise history, and as a life long Clipper fan, my anxiety is through the roof. While watching this franchise, I have learned to only expect disappointment. There is a long list of chokes and failures throughout the franchise’s history. Western Conference Semifinal game 7’s have not been kind to the Clippers. Personally, I remember watching game 7 of the 2006 Western Conference semifinals where the Elton Brand lead Clippers nearly pulled the series upset against the Steve Nash lead Suns, the meltdown of 2015 3-1 lead against the Rockets with the Chris Paul lead Lob City Clippers in 2015, now the best team in the franchise history is on the brink of being eliminated in humiliating fashion. Each of those two series went 7 games and the Clippers lost the deciding game 7 by double digits both times. Will this team ever be able to get over the hump and break the team’s record of misfortune? The Clippers have a more talented team, and they should win this game. The pressure is all on them; if they play well for 48 minutes, they should comfortably win this one. But if they fail to match Denver’s intensity in the second half, the Clippers will have to the franchise’s historical misery. Game 7’s are the best things in sports unless your team is in them. Like most games in this series, expect this one to be decided in the closing minutes. The team with the best shot making and least defensive mishaps should win. I’m a little biased, but gut prediction says Clippers win, but they don’t cover the +7.
