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The Clippers have a chance to take a 3-1 lead over Denver with a Game 4 win tonight. Only 12 times in NBA history (the first was in 1968) has a team returned from a 3-1 deficit to win a series, although one of those cases was the Nuggets in the first round of this postseason.
Game information
Where: AdventHealth Arena, Orlando, Florida
When: Wednesday, September 9 at 6:00 pm PT
How to watch: ESPN
Projected starting lineups
Scissors: Patrick Beverley, Paul george, Kawhi leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., Ivica zubac
Nuggets: Jamal murray, Gary Harris, Jerami Scholarship, Paul millsap, Nikola Jokic
Injuries / Absences
Scissors: None
Nuggets: Will barton (right knee), Vlatko Cancar (left foot) – OUT
The Clippers have a lot to be sure of heading into this matchup. Paul George has been an offensive dynamo, averaging 24.3 points per game in 50.0 / 45.8 / 80.0 shooting divisions. He has also owned his second star matchup against Jamal Murray. He completely suppressed Denver’s guard in Game 3, particularly down the stretch; Murray is only averaging 4.3 points per second half in this series and has clearly worn himself out throughout games against relentless defensive pressure from George and the rest of the Clippers.
“Every night they take on the challenge of protecting the best players and they are able to nullify them,” Ivica Zubac said of George and Kawhi Leonard’s defense. “It is a great advantage for us when it comes to the final stretch, that your best player defends the other best player and makes a save. It energizes the whole team and gives us confidence in defense ”.
While the Nuggets have weakened late in games, the Clippers have found more and more ways to triumph at the decisive moment. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell posted their best collective bench performance of the postseason in Los Angeles’ latest win, and Harrell’s energy was especially challenging for Nikola Jokic in the fourth quarter. That bench tandem was consistent for the Clippers during the regular season and he’s starting to find his base once again in the playoffs.
It’s also reasonable to expect Leonard to shoot better than in the last two games. A 49.0% running shooter from the field will not score less than 40% of his field goals for long; the poor three-point shot is due especially to a regression to the mean.
As for what the Clippers can improve on, it comes down to their beginning. Denver has been the best team in the first quarter throughout the series, averaging 35.7 points in the first 12 minutes on 62.3% shooting, including 50.0% from 3s. The Clippers have shown the ability to activate their defense late, but it’s in their best interest to attack first rather than having to rely on late rallies to compensate for poor defense early on.
“We’ve just been incomplete on defense,” Doc Rivers said Tuesday. “Sometimes we have played very well. When we do, we are really good. We have demonstrated the ability to make the necessary stops. I think it’s a great quality for your team. You have to make a save if you can get one, and we have, but despite how well we’ve been on the stages, I think there is a better defensive team throughout the game, and that’s what we have to do. a better job “.
Enjoy the game and comment below! Come on Clippers!
