Denver Nuggets defeat LA Clippers within the deciding recreation to arrange a second-round matchup with prime seed Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
The Denver Nuggets dominated the Los Angeles Clippers 120-101 of their do-or-die Sport 7 of their NBA playoff collection to arrange a second-round conflict with Western Convention top-seed Oklahoma Metropolis.
Aaron Gordon scored 22 factors, Christian Braun added 21 and NBA Most Helpful Participant (MVP) Nikola Jokic had 16 factors, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets, whose balanced assault and stout defence have been an excessive amount of for the Clippers on Saturday.
The Clippers, who roared into the playoffs successful 18 of their final 21 regular-season video games, had fended off elimination with a convincing Sport 6 victory on Thursday.
However any momentum that they had evaporated amid one other dismal efficiency from James Harden.
Harden scored simply seven factors, connecting on two of his eight shot makes an attempt.
Kawhi Leonard scored 22 factors to guide the Clippers, who emerged from a decent first quarter with a 26-21 lead.
It briefly regarded like it might be one other shut recreation between groups that completed the common season with similar 50-32 data.
However the Nuggets put up 37 factors within the second quarter to grab management and continued to pile it on within the third, when a 17-0 Nuggets run pushed the result in 75-50.
The Nuggets led 93 – 66 going into the fourth quarter, and even with Jokic sitting down after he was whistled for his third, fourth, and fifth fouls late within the third interval, the Clippers might make no significant inroads.
The Nuggets led by as many as 35 factors. They out-scored the Clippers 54-42 within the paint and, with a 46-36 benefit in rebounds, grabbed 22 second-chance factors to the Clippers’ 10.
“Everyone got here to play,” stated Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who scored 16 factors. “Everyone was prepared, the house crowd was into it, and we have been capable of get the job finished.”
Russell Westbrook rubbed it in towards his former crew, coming off the bench to attain 16 factors with 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.
He underscored his message halfway by way of the fourth quarter, arising with a steal, racing for a dunk, after which hanging on the rim to purposely draw a technical foul and utilizing the second to rile up the group much more.
The Nuggets superior regardless of a tumultuous end to their common season, with David Adelman taking up as interim head coach when Michael Malone was sacked with simply three video games left.
Denver will play Sport 1 of their second-round playoff collection towards the Thunder, who received a league-best 68 video games, on Monday.
The collection will pit MVP finalists Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander towards one another.
