DENVER — In a series of attrition, the Denver Nuggets have survived in emphatic fashion.
The Nuggets opened an 11-point halftime lead over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday then raced to a 120-101 Game 7 win to advance out of the first round. The blowout caps a grueling, competitive series that swung back and forth throughout.
In the end, the Nuggets had more gas in the tank and will now face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. The series will feature a showdown of MVP finalists Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
‘There is a point of exhaustion’
The Clippers looked like the fresher team early en route to a 26-21 first-quarter lead as neither Jokić nor Jamal Murray managed to make a field goal. But the Nuggets withstood the early run and closed the half with a 37-21 second quarter that ultimately proved to be the knockout blow.
There was no second-half surge from a Clippers team that took control of a Game 6 win thanks to halftime adjustments and a 10-point third-quarter advantage. Back home in the altitude of Denver, the Nuggets kept on the gas after halftime and didn’t allow a Clippers rally to take hold.
“We’ve played a lot of these games,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said before the game. “You have to understand, there is a point of exhaustion in these games, especially with the quick turnaround on playing later in L.A. and coming back here and playing a somewhat earlier game, playing seven games total.
“When there’s downs in the games, that’s when everybody has to be closest together, keep each other going. You have to find energy from one another.”
Nuggets thrive despite slow starts from Jokić, Murray
The Nuggets withstood an early down period from their two most important players. Early in the second quarter, Jokić and Murray were a combined 0 for 9 from the field. Yet the Nuggets held a 31-28 lead, buoyed by a strong start from Christian Braun and a defensive effort that the Clippers struggled to counter.
Jokić finally found the basket on his sixth field goal attempt of the game, a 3-pointer that gave Denver a 34-30 advantage. Murray’s first basket didn’t arrive until a layup with 3:39 left in the quarter extended the Denver lead to 48-43. Once both found their footing, the Clippers were outmatched.
Denver entered halftime with a 58-47 lead, and Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue opened the third quarter with the same second-half adjustment as he did in Game 6 — putting Nicolas Batum in the third-quarter starting lineup. But the veteran wing’s versatility on both sides of the ball was of no help Saturday night.
Nuggets exorcise demons of Timberwolves collapse
A 7-3 Nuggets run to start the third quarter prompted a quick timeout from Lue. A Michael Porter Jr. 3-pointer less than three minutes into the quarter extended the run to 15-3 and the Nuggets’ lead to 73-50.
A Denver crowd that watched the Nuggets blow a 15-point halftime lead in a Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last season erupted. There would be no second-half collapse this time and no sudden, shocking exit from the postseason.
Braun, who scored 21 points, spoke after the game about what it meant to play such a big role in a Game 7 victory.
“That’s exactly what we wanted,” Braun said postgame. “That’s the exact moment I wanted. Last year, obviously the team had a missed opportunity. I felt like we should have won. Obviously they were the better team that night. I just felt like there was opportunity left on the table.
“I felt like I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to be more. I just thought that in that game I feel like I was playing well and wanted to play more minutes. Everybody wants that. Everybody in the league wants that, and I got that.”
Can Nuggets role players keep this up?
As they did in multiple games this series, the Nuggets won without a big game from Jokić — by his MVP standards, at least. Murray was also relatively subdued. Instead, it was a team effort from a Nuggets lineup that’s been hounded with questions about whether it’s strong enough around Jokić to compete at the highest level.
“In playoffs, we know that everybody needs to step up,” Jokić said. “Offensively, defensively, energy wise. When the playoffs start, we need to step, and everybody who plays needs to contribute something. Especially today, the guys did that.”
Each Nuggets starter scored 15-plus points, led by Aaron Gordon’s 22. Braun shot 8 of 15 from the field and 3 of 5 from deep. Russell Westbrook tallied 16 points off the bench and again made the Clippers pay for leaving him open while shooting 5 of 9 from the field and 2 of 4 from deep.
Jokić finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Murray finished with 16 points and five rebounds.
After the game, Adelman mentioned Braun, Murray and Gordon while crediting the team effort for optimizing minutes when Jokić was on the bench.
“Some of Jamal’s shot-making tonight through contact and AG, what he did attacking the basket,” Adelman said. “It allowed us to sit Nikola longer. And then we actually won those stanzas. And if you do that and then you’re bringing 15 back in, it’s an enormous deal.”
Christian Braun gives James Harden fits
Braun didn’t just set the pace on offense. He was also tasked again as the primary defender on 11-time All-Star James Harden. Harden finished with a series-low seven points while shooting 2 of 8 from the field. When the game was over, Harden didn’t speak with media.
“That’s AG and him,” Jokić said of Braun’s defense on Harden. “They wanted to do that. They wanted to pick him up. We are just there back them up and help them in any possible way.
“He’s aggressive. He’s annoying. And he knows what to do. He accepts the role because he’s a winner.”
Braun credited backup from his fellow Nuggets and some advice from Harden’s former Thunder teammate Westbrook for shutting Harden down.
“Russ, he’s played against James, he’s played with James. Kind of knows his game,” Braun said. “He was telling me what looks to give him, when to give them. …
“I learned that over the course of the series, and I think I got better and better as we went. And the guys trusted me and the coaches trusted me tonight. We didn’t want to switch. They kept me on him all night.”
Denver’s reward is a date with OKC, SGA
Next up for the Nuggets and the NBA is a matchup that will have talking heads salivating. They won’t often square off one-on-one on the court, but the debate over the MVP candidacy between Jokić and Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the hottest of the NBA season.
The votes are in for the actual award, which will be announced later in the postseason. But in the eyes of many fans, the debate will be settled on the court in the second round.
But the real prize of the series will be a ticket to the Western Conference finals. And that’s where Adelman’s mind was as soon as Saturday’s game was done.
“It feels good, but I also know that we’re flying to OKC tomorrow,” Adelman said. “This was not the championship. I’m sure it kind of felt like it to fans on both sides because the series was so insane and the ups and downs were so crazy. It’s one of those series you won’t forget you were a part of.”
DENVER — In a series of attrition, the Denver Nuggets have survived in emphatic fashion.
The Nuggets opened an 11-point halftime lead over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday then raced to a 120-101 Game 7 win to advance out of the first round. The blowout caps a grueling, competitive series that swung back and forth throughout.
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In the end, the Nuggets had more gas in the tank and will advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. The series will feature a showdown of MVP finalists Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Clippers looked like the fresher team early en route to a 26-21 first-quarter lead as neither Jokić nor Jamal Murray managed to make a field goal. But the Nuggets withstood the early run and closed the half with a 37-21 second quarter that ultimately proved to be the knockout blow.
There was no second-half surge from a Clippers team that took control of a Game 6 win thanks to halftime adjustments and a 10-point third-quarter advantage. Back home in the altitude of Denver, the Nuggets kept on the gas after halftime and didn’t allow a Clippers rally to take hold.
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“We’ve played a lot of these games,” Adelman said before the game. “You have to understand, there is a point of exhaustion in these games, especially with the quick turnaround on playing later in L.A. and coming back here and playing a somewhat earlier game, playing seven games total.
“When there’s downs in the games, that’s when everybody has to be closest together, keep each other going. You have to find energy from one another.”
The Nuggets withstood an early down period from their two most important players. Early in the second quarter, Jokić and Murray were a combined 0 for 9 from the field. Yet the Nuggets held a 31-28 lead, buoyed by a strong start from Christian Braun and a defensive effort that the Clippers struggled to counter.
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Jokić finally found the basket on his sixth field goal attempt of the game, a 3-pointer that gave Denver a 34-0 advantage. Murray’s first basket didn’t arrive until a layup with 3:39 left in the quarter extended the Denver lead to 48-43. Once both found their footing, the Clippers were outmatched.
Denver entered halftime with a 58-47 lead, and Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue opened the third quarter with the same second-half adjustment as he did in Game 6 — putting Nicolas Batum in the third-quarter starting lineup. But the veteran wing’s versatility on both sides of the ball was of no help Saturday night.
A 7-3 Nuggets run to start the third quarter prompted a quick timeout from Lue. A Michael Porter Jr. 3-pointer less than three minutes into the quarter extended the run to 15-3 and the Nuggets lead to 73-50.
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A Denver crowd that watched the Nuggets blow a 15-point halftime lead in a Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last season erupted. There would be no second-half collapse this time and no sudden, shocking exit from the postseason.
As they did in multiple games this series, the Nuggets won without a big game from Jokić — by his MVP standards, at least. Murray was also relatively subdued. Instead, it was a team effort from a Nuggets lineup that’s been hounded with questions about whether it’s strong enough around Jokić to compete at the highest level.
On Saturday, it was as Braun set the early pace and six different players scored in double figures.
Next up for the Nuggets and the NBA is matchup that will have talking heads salivating. They won’t often square off one-on-one on the court. But the debate over the MVP candidacy between Jokić and Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the hottest of the NBA season.
The votes are in for the actual award, which will be announced later in the postseason. But in the eyes of many fans, the debate will be settled on the court in the second round.
