Los Angeles Clippers Force Game 7 Behind Kawhi Leonard’s Performance
No matter what your favorite word in the English dictionary may be, there are two that sports fans love above all else. Game 7. The Clippers came into Game 6 needing their two stars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to show up and keep their season alive. Both delivered vintage performances.
They combined for 55, with Leonard scoring 14 of his 27 points in the second half to seal the win. While Leonard dominated the second half, Harden set the tone for the Clippers in the first half. The former MVP scored 21 of his 28 points through the first two quarters, which helped give the Clippers a 58-57 lead heading into halftime.
Tyronn Lue Puts On Coaching Clinic
While both Harden and Leonard were lighting up the Nuggets on the floor, Clippers Head Coach Tyronn Lue was putting on a maestro performance on the whiteboard. Not many coaches would decide to make line-up changes in such a big game, but Lue rolled the dice, and it paid off in a big way.
The decision to play Nicolas Batum heavy minutes while also shoring up the bench allowed the Clippers to have more versatility on both defense and offense. Batum filled up the stat sheet across the board with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and a pair of steals and blocks.
Jokic Crumbles In Second Half
When trying to gameplan for a player of Nikola Jokic’s caliber, sometimes those gameplans rest upon hoping he gets in his own way. The Clippers decided to take matters into their own hands instead of crossing their fingers. The 3-time MVP came out of the gates hot for the Nuggets, dropping 20 first-half points and scoring at will no matter who was guarding him.
The Clippers made two key adjustments coming out of halftime to stop Jokic by swarming Jokic in the post and forcing other Nuggets players to make plays. Those adjustments paid dividends as Jokic only mustered 5 points in the second half while also forcing numerous turnovers.
Michael Porter Jr’s Shoulder injury
Ever since injuring his left shoulder while diving for a loose ball in Game 2, Nuggets Forward Michael Porter Jr. has struggled to find a rhythm on the offensive end. The veteran dropped 5 points on 2-5 shooting from the field in 24 minutes. While Porter Jr. was struggling to find his shot on offense, the Clippers also hunted him on the defensive end of the floor. If the Nuggets want to be able to avoid an early exit Saturday night, they will need MPJ to find his rhythm and make the Clippers pay for their double teams on Jokic.
Final Thoughts
Jokic said it best in his post-game press conference last night, “if you like basketball, like a real fan, not a fake fan of basketball, these are the games you should watch“. The Clippers-Nuggets series has been the best series of the playoffs so far. It is no surprise it will take a Game 7.
While the Nuggets will be favored with Game 7 being on their home court, the Clippers have proven that no lead is safe, and no game is guaranteed in this series. If you have any plans for Saturday night, you may want to cancel them because there is nothing better than a Game 7.
