The goal for the Clippers was to not give the Denver Nuggets any hope in Game 4 and in the process take complete control of the seven-game playoff series.
For this to happen, they had to maintain their composure, but both sides lost it late in the second quarter Saturday, resulting in technical fouls being called on six players but no ejections.
The Clippers found a calmness amid it all, even when they got down by 22 points in the fourth quarter, keeping their emotions in check until Aaron Gordon dunked in a missed three-pointer by Nikola Jokic as time expired to give the Nuggets a thrilling 101-99 win.
The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Denver.
“It was tough,” Kawhi Leonard, who had 24 points and nine rebounds, said about losing on a last-second shot. “But I’m glad we fought. We didn’t lay down. Down I think 20 in that fourth quarter. Be able to keep fighting and rally back. It’s the NBA. They made a great, great play.”
The Clippers actually trailed by 22 before they went on a 32-9 run to take a 97-96 lead after Bogdan Bogdanovic got an offensive rebound and scored.
But Jokic (36 points, 21 rebounds, eight assists) made a free throw to tie the score with 58.6 seconds left. After Leonard missed a shot, Jokic scored to give the Nuggets a 99-97 lead.
James Harden (15 points, 11 assists) missed on a drive, but Ivica Zubac (19 points, 12 rebounds) tipped the ball in to tie the score at 99-99 with 8 seconds left.
“It’s a battle,” said Norman Powell, who had 22 points. “We decided as a team this is going to be a dogfight every single game. Nobody is going to be able to give in, wants to give in. A lot of will. A lot of poise in us going down by 20-plus and being able to fight our way back and make the plays needed to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”
Jokic shot a three-pointer that missed, but Gordon dunked it and then took off down the court in celebration.
“I just thought the game was over,” said Gordon, who had 14 points. “Just trying to get off the court.”
Jokic, however, stayed put.
“I didn’t want to have excitement and then go down the floor,” Jokic said. “I was just like, keep calm. So, that was my approach. I didn’t know what happened to be honest. I thought that it was close, but it was really close.”
Read more:Clippers know job isn’t done after first playoff win in Intuit Dome history
Officials gathered at the scorer’s table to review the play, eventually deciding that the basket was good.
“The ruling on the floor from the game officials was a good basket,” referee Zach Zarba told a pool reporter after the game. “It then automatically goes to the Replay Center official. The Replay Center official, after taking a good look at it, found clear and conclusive evidence that the ball was out of Gordon’s hands when the red light came to an end.”
Harden and Powell were under the basket, two guards trying to jump with the 6-foot-9 Gordon.
“The things we’ve been talking about the last five years — offensive rebounds,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “You get beat on an offensive rebound. But Jokic shot an airball. Wasn’t really expecting that. [Christian] Braun cut to the middle of the floor and James and Norm were kind of in between trying to check with him, and Gordon made a hell of a play.”
The earlier ruckus began after Braun fouled Harden with 6.6 seconds left in the second quarter, causing a lot of pushing and shoving.
Harden took exception to the foul and pushed Braun, then Jokic came over and pushed Harden followed by Gordon pushing Harden, who then pushed the Nuggets forward back. Zubac grabbed and pulled Gordon away. But Powell ran over and pushed Gordon and Braun, and Kris Dunn then ran in and pushed Gordon.
The officials finally got things settled down and issued technical fouls on Harden, Powell and Dunn as well as Gordon, Braun and Jokic.
“This is what we want,” Powell said. “This is what we’re about. This is what you work for, tight and tense playoff series. Like I said, no team is willing to give an inch. No team is willing to back down. So, it’s going to get chippy. We’re going to fight. We got guys that like it.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The goal for the Clippers was to not give the Denver Nuggets any hope in Game 4 and in the process take complete control of the seven-game playoff series.
For this to happen, they had to maintain their composure, but both sides lost it late in the second quarter Saturday, resulting in technical fouls being called on six players but no ejections.
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The Clippers found a calmness amid it all, even when they got down by 22 points in the fourth quarter, keeping their emotions in check until Aaron Gordon dunked in a missed three-pointer by Nikola Jokic as time expired to give the Nuggets a thrilling 101-99 win.
The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Denver.
“It was tough,” Kawhi Leonard, who had 24 points and nine rebounds, said about losing on a last-second shot. “But I’m glad we fought. We didn’t lay down. Down I think 20 in that fourth quarter. Be able to keep fighting and rally back. It’s the NBA. They made a great, great play.”
The Clippers actually trailed by 22 before they went on a 32-9 run to take a 97-96 lead after Bogdan Bogdanovic got an offensive rebound and scored.
But Jokic (36 points, 21 rebounds, eight assists) made a free throw to tie the score with 58.6 seconds left. After Leonard missed a shot, Jokic scored to give the Nuggets a 99-97 lead.
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James Harden (15 points, 11 assists) missed on a drive, but Ivica Zubac (19 points, 12 rebounds) tipped the ball in to tie the score at 99-99 with 8 seconds left.
“It’s a battle,” said Norman Powell, who had 22 points. “We decided as a team this is going to be a dogfight every single game. Nobody is going to be able to give in, wants to give in. A lot of will. A lot of poise in us going down by 20-plus and being able to fight our way back and make the plays needed to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”
Jokic shot a three-pointer that missed, but Gordon dunked it and then took off down the court in celebration.
“I just thought the game was over,” said Gordon, who had 14 points. “Just trying to get off the court.”
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Jokic, however, stayed put.
“I didn’t want to have excitement and then go down the floor,” Jokic said. “I was just like, keep calm. So, that was my approach. I didn’t know what happened to be honest. I thought that it was close, but it was really close.”
Read more: Clippers know job isn’t done after first playoff win in Intuit Dome history
Officials gathered at the scorer’s table to review the play, eventually deciding that the basket was good.
“The ruling on the floor from the game officials was a good basket,” referee Zach Zarba told a pool reporter after the game. “It then automatically goes to the Replay Center official. The Replay Center official, after taking a good look at it, found clear and conclusive evidence that the ball was out of Gordon’s hands when the red light came to an end.”
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Harden and Powell were under the basket, two guards trying to jump with the 6-foot-9 Gordon.
“The things we’ve been talking about the last five years — offensive rebounds,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “You get beat on an offensive rebound. But Jokic shot an airball. Wasn’t really expecting that. [Christian] Braun cut to the middle of the floor and James and Norm were kind of in between trying to check with him, and Gordon made a hell of a play.”
The earlier ruckus began after Braun fouled Harden with 6.6 seconds left in the second quarter, causing a lot of pushing and shoving.
Harden took exception to the foul and pushed Braun, then Jokic came over and pushed Harden followed by Gordon pushing Harden, who then pushed the Nuggets forward back. Zubac grabbed and pulled Gordon away. But Powell ran over and pushed Gordon and Braun, and Kris Dunn then ran in and pushed Gordon.
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The officials finally got things settled down and issued technical fouls on Harden, Powell and Dunn as well as Gordon, Braun and Jokic.
“This is what we want,” Powell said. “This is what we’re about. This is what you work for, tight and tense playoff series. Like I said, no team is willing to give an inch. No team is willing to back down. So, it’s going to get chippy. We’re going to fight. We got guys that like it.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
