The Denver Nuggets had a chance to win the series in LA vs the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, but the Clippers had different ideas. They won 111-105 in a hard-fought, draining game for Denver that saw all four of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun play 40+ minutes. The Nuggets were gassed by the end and couldn’t complete a comeback attempt, setting up a Game 7 on Sunday at Ball Arena in Denver.
Nikola Jokic had 25 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three steals, but just five of those points came in the second half. Jamal Murray similarly had 12 points at halftime and just nine in the second half. The Nuggets didn’t get the games they needed from their stars to win, but there were a lot of factors, including James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Norman Powell combining for 71 points between them.
Here’s the Notes from Game 6:
First Quarter:
- Both teams a bit amped, but the overall execution to start the game was solid
- James Harden and Norman Powell jumping into Nuggets repeatedly trying to draw free throws
- Jamal Murray had it going with 12 first quarter points, moving well without the ball to create space
- Clippers shooting poorly from three in the quarter, just 1-of-10
- Kawhi Leonard continuing to make contested shots in the mid-range over and over
Nuggets lead 28-25 after first quarter.
Second Quarter:
- DeAndre Jordan on he floor against a 5-out unit that includes Kawhi Leonard and James Harden with Nicolas Batum at center. It did not go well.
- Nuggets turning the ball over left and right, just not as accurate as first quarter
- Russell Westbrook making big plays and big shots again
- Harden and Jokic both turned it on in the second quarter, Harden with 17 points, Jokic with 15
- Peyton Watson played just three minutes but hit a big corner three
Nuggets trail 58-57 at halftime.
Third Quarter:
- Nicolas Batum started second half for Kris Dunn, Nuggets gave up 8-2 run out of break, including a Batum three
- Michael Porter Jr. scored his first points on a contested three out of the timeout but missed a wide open finger roll layup soon after
- Murray’s impact slowing to a crawl in this quarter, very little to give on either end of the floor
- Jokic decision making was odd for the entire quarter, and his drop coverage defense offered little resistance at the rim
- Nuggets looking tired, losing the 50-50 balls that allow wide open three-pointers
- Only saving grace was two Christian Braun three-pointers and a Jokic three to close the quarter to keep Denver in striking distance
Nuggets trail 90-79 after third quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
- Nuggets start quarter with Gordon at center, but Denver struggled to defensive rebound and get stops anyway
- Clippers targeting Murray defensively, and he looks absolutely gassed, made a couple shots but nothing super impactful
- Clippers defense bothering Denver consistently, Batum continues to make an impact on every possession
- Westbrook still making plays, but a missed dunk and a wide open missed layup were backbreakers as Denver tried to make a run
- Jokic just not making right decisions as exhausted as he was, couldn’t draw contact in a way that would be called and was passing up a bunch of open threes
Nuggets lose 111-105 vs Clippers.
Short Takeaway
The Nuggets let an opportunity slip tonight, and there’s potential for them to regret it for the entire offseason. On multiple occasions, they had the Clippers in their sights and were a couple possessions away from making a run. They simply couldn’t get enough stops to make it happen, and even when they did, the offense made massive mistakes. From missing wide open layups and complaining about foul calls to not executing the coverage on defense to not collecting 50-50 balls. There were plenty of reasons why Denver lost, and none of them good.
Now, it’s on to Game 7. The last time Denver was in this situation, they gave up a 20-point lead on their home floor. They’ve won Game 7’s before, but this one doesn’t feel like a great opportunity for them. It feels like a great opportunity for the Clippers who outworked them for the entire game outside of the first quarter. Denver looks bogged down by the amount of minutes they’ve had to play in this series, and rather than take a hard-earned rest before a bout with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Nuggets have a Game 7 on their hands again.
The Clippers deserve credit, but this was more about what the Nuggets could not do rather what the Clippers did, and it might cost them dearly on Saturday.
Final Rotations
