[ad_1]
Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets takes a shot while Paul George (13) of the Los Angeles Clippers defends during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal basketball game on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Nuggets won 111-98. (AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – Denver began its season talking about winning a championship in training camp, knowing full well that few would believe in the Nuggets’ chances.
The skeptics fed them then.
Skeptics still feed them now, even though they are one win away from the Western Conference finals. Game 7 awaits the Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, and the winner will head to the West’s title series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Everybody is looking forward to the Los Angeles Western Conference finals,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Monday. “But there is a small city in Colorado called Denver, and we are trying to do our part to make some noise and further solidify our position in the hierarchy of the Western Conference and the NBA because we feel like we belong there.”
It is difficult to argue. The Nuggets lost 3-1 to Utah in the first round and advanced; they were down 3-1 to the Clippers in this series and are still at Walt Disney World, now 5-0 in elimination games so far this season. If he wins on Tuesday, he will become the first team in NBA history to successfully erase a pair of 3-1 deficits in the same season, or even the same decade.
And they rallied from 16 points to win Game 5, then 19 points to win Game 6. Nikola Jokic controlled the game at both ends in the second half, and Denver has plenty of life heading into its fourth straight Game 7 – last two. year, two this year.
“When I see Nikola excited and screaming and thumping his chest, I know we’re in a good place,” Malone said.
The Clippers have never been to the conference finals; they’ve had seven chances to get there in their franchise history, going 0-7 in those games.
A year ago, Kawhi Leonard hit the first Game 7-winning shot in NBA history, which led Toronto to beat Philadelphia and the Eastern Finals, en route to winning the title. The Clippers expect history to repeat itself starting Tuesday.
“Oh, he’s unshakable,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “Kawhi, you cannot guarantee that he will play well or not because he is human and all players are. But you know the moment will not be too great. That’s the only thing: with him, you know. So it’s comforting to know that. “
There are two games on Tuesday; the Miami Heat face the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
A look at the last match of the second round on Tuesday:
NUGGETS VS. SCISSORS
Series tied 3-3. Game 7, 9 p.m. EDT, ESPN.
– NEEDS TO KNOW: Malone says he will turn 38 on Tuesday, when it is actually his 49th birthday and obviously the first he has directed an NBA game. The numbers are remarkably even in this series in some respects, the Clippers have 227 field goals vs. Denver’s 226, the Nuggets have 47 steals vs. the Clippers’ 46, the Nuggets have 26 blocks vs. 25 for the Clippers.
– KEEP AN EYE ON: Michael Porter Jr. The star duos – Jokic and Murray for Denver, Leonard and Paul George for the Clippers – cancel the other. Porter has had some brilliant moments in these playoffs, and if you add to that in Game 7, Denver’s chances could increase.
– INJURY WATCH: Murray suffered a bad knockdown on a hit by George in Game 6, but was retired Sunday after the game and is ready for Game 7.
– THE PRESSURE IS ON: The Clippers. They were the offseason champions in the summer of 2019, getting Leonard and George. They had a 3-1 advantage in this series. They could stage a Lakers-Clippers showdown made for television for a spot in the NBA Finals. If the Nuggets go home on Wednesday, the perception will be that they had a good year and a bright future. If the Clippers go home Wednesday, the perception will be that disaster struck.
Read next
EDITOR’S SELECTION
MOST READ
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
