2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West First Round: #4 Denver Nuggets vs #5 LA Clippers (Series tied 2-2)

[PeteyPablo]

This series realistically should of been a sweep. Clippers absolutely **** themselves in game 1 and 4. Jokic being a demi-god + timely contributions from Gordon have made this series 2-2. I'm still expecting Clippers in 6-7. Only way Denver can win this is if they get one crazy Murray game.

And that game will be game 5.

I also think Denver being 2-2 is mostly on Lue and his rotations.
(jokic himself is out coaching him)
LAC are that much better this should be done already.

LAC BETTER WIN GAME 5, because they are not winning game 7 on JOKIC IN Denver

Big credit to the Nuggets for not folding in game 4. They have many years of continuity and experience together with this squad.

On the other hand , this has been their best team performance and it took a buzzer beater miracle play to win.

Clippers need to get it together. They missed many open shots all game and waited until the 4th quarter to turn up their defense and overall intensity. This was their worst game / performance of the season.

[MoneyTalks41890]

This is the closest bucket I have ever seen. This is why NBA is superior to everything else.

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[Wolfgang630]

Murray still has not had a single “playoff Murray” game.

[PeteyPablo]

Norman Powell is starting to come around. He was averaging 24ppg at the all star break. Then missed nearly a month with a hamstring issue.

Brogdan has been unable to makes shots off the bench but has been serviceable. Ben Simmons at least gives Zubac a few minutes to rest.

Batum was ice cold yesterday but is a plus on defense and rebounds and everything else.

Clippers will have to refocus and come for blood game 5.

[Infinite Llamas]

GG Nugs

Dude, respect for that post, not taking part then in one of the worst game threads in a while.
Clippers with healthy enough Kawhi and with THIS Zubac are maybe the best team to stop Jokic.
I think this series deserves to be 2-2 and not 1-3 - and all Jokic haters here forget that even if basket wasn't counted (and no foul was called on the dunk), it still would be an overtime, and between "clutch" Harden (but with an awesome supporting cast) and clutch Jokic (with Gordon and 3 conuses) it would be a toss, actually.

Anyway, if before the series and even after 1-1 I was sure Nuggets will advance, now I would say it's 60% the Clippers are advancing. Just more tools in O and D. As already mentioned, Nuggets probably have only 3 of top-10 players in this series (and probably 3 of top-12) - I mean, even Ben Simmons (not today though) is better than whatever Nuggets bench. Murray is such a net-negative player, with such a bad decision-making time after time, so if his iso doesn't work, he is useless, and ballhogs his team time after time.

This is the third game thread for this series and if we took out the Joker hater posts we probably lose a couple threads…
Wish there were more real Clippers fans here and not just irrational Jokic haters and there’d be much better discourse.

[ejftw]

I was today years old when I learned that the rim is considered to be within immediate vicinity of the bench

[Johnny Firpo]

The rule says he should be suspended, I expect the NBA to follow its rules.

No, the rule actually does not say that if you leave the bench, you are suspended. The rule says this:

“all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of their bench"

So there is a grey area, "immediate vicinity" could be 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, whatever you say it is. They held him back, and he did not join the altercation, so they might not suspend him. It could also just as likely happen, we'll see. I think it's going to be the correct decision either way. Is there precedence for suspending players who only took a couple of steps before being held back?

He left the bench and sprinted, was held after reaching the painted area even.

There is no argument when it comes to the "immediate vicinity of the bench". The man was on the court itself.

This is not as gray as you think. The league may look the other way because he didn't actually do anything, but that would be the only reason, not the "immediate vicinity" wording.

I mean, that's what would allow them to be more lenient. If the rule would state "you have to be within 5 feet", then he would 100% get suspended. By the way, I think it's a dumb rule, because trying to help out your teammates during an altercation is almost like a reflex. They cannot be blamed for it, so I would change the wording to something like this: "if someone leaves the bench area and initiates contact or starts taunting the other team's players, they are automatically suspended." That way none of the instances where they are able to hold them back, would warrant a suspension, and only those who actually did something, would be suspended.

[Exp0sed]

This is the closest bucket I have ever seen. This is why NBA is superior to everything else.

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[PeteyPablo]

Team Stats
Denver Nuggets LA Clippers
FG 40-87 39-88
Field Goal % 46.0 44.3
3PT 10-29 10-30
Three Point % 34.5 33.3
FT 11-16 11-16
Free Throw % 68.8 68.8
Rebounds 47 43
Offensive Rebounds 12

[Mrakar]

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COTY

[mcmurphy]

No, I don't. Again, this is EXACTLY what I've been criticizing him for in this series. Many of you (you, cubbies, Alatan) have attacked me for saying he should ditch the spamming of dho/pitchbacks at the top, and be a more aggressive scorer, going inside with a vengeance. Alatan said it would kill their spacing and wouldn't work. Special puppy said I had no understanding of how basketball worked. Yet, it worked pretty good (the sad part is, you all probably watch/follow Denver alot more than me, and couldnt see or acknowledge this)!

He needs to keep it up, I want to see a Jokic vs SGA matchup.

It worked, because others step up.

Others stepped up, because they fed off Jokics aggressiveness. When a star is dominating like that, attacking aggressively, it opens everything up and raises the confidence of secondary options. He had been too passive the first 3 games, clearly. Look what he/Denver did yesterday!

This proves once again that you understand nothing about Jokic's game and basketball in general.


I ask you a question...

Jokic has played 11 playoff games with USG% >38 with these average stats
36.7ppg, 11.4reb, 6.3ast, 1.3stl, 3.9to

Jokic has played 41 playoff games with at least 8 assists per game with these average stats
28.0ppg, 13.4reb, 10.6ast, 1.4stl, 3.5to

What do you think Denver's winning percentages are in both cases?

p.s.
is not cherry picking... is stats

[Wolfgang630]

Jokic took 25 shots and that’s what I asked for. I wanted 25-30 shots for him and you live with the results. He gotta have the same mentality for game 5 because knowing him the next game he’ll only take like 14 shots.

[kazyv]

Murray still has not had a single “playoff Murray” game.

"playoff murray" isn't really a thing. more like, there's "disney murray" also known as "bubble murray", but he's never coming back (unless you count on another pandemic breaking out).

obviously also there's murray, the regular kind. a streaky shooter that can run really really hot in a series and skew his playoff stats for the year to make you believe he is something that he is not. a mythical legendary "playoff murray". but as we know, that's not really a thing.

and what he is more often than not is just a decent second option. a taller, better version of jason terry, if you will.

[hardenASG13]

It worked, because others step up.

Others stepped up, because they fed off Jokics aggressiveness. When a star is dominating like that, attacking aggressively, it opens everything up and raises the confidence of secondary options. He had been too passive the first 3 games, clearly. Look what he/Denver did yesterday!

This proves once again that you understand nothing about Jokic's game and basketball in general.


I ask you a question...

Jokic has played 11 playoff games with USG% >38 with these average stats
36.7ppg, 11.4reb, 6.3ast, 1.3stl, 3.9to

Jokic has played 41 playoff games with at least 8 assists per game with these average stats
28.0ppg, 13.4reb, 10.6ast, 1.4stl, 3.5to

What do you think Denver's winning percentages are in both cases?

p.s.
is not cherry picking... is stats

So, you think it was better for Denver in games 1-3 when he played more passive and at the top more, vs. single coverage?

I didn't look up the records you list in your examples. How much do you think 2023 is baked into that though, when they played weaker competition and steamrolled everyone, where Jokic didn't need to as aggressive as in say......this series, which the thread is about?

[TheFire]

I’ve been super impressed by Zubac. Hell of a player.

[stoo]

Murray still has not had a single “playoff Murray” game.

"playoff murray" isn't really a thing. more like, there's "disney murray" also known as "bubble murray", but he's never coming back (unless you count on another pandemic breaking out).

obviously also there's murray, the regular kind. a streaky shooter that can run really really hot in a series and skew his playoff stats for the year to make you believe he is something that he is not. a mythical legendary "playoff murray". but as we know, that's not really a thing.

and what he is more often than not is just a decent second option. a taller, better version of jason terry, if you will.

i remember pretty well Murray's playoff performance when nuggets won the title

[OkcSinceSGA]

Nuggets are in trouble. They literally won by 2 in a game that the Clippers entire team basically didn’t show up on a play that arguably shouldn’t count. Lost a 22 point lead

And Murray , CB didn’t show up. It goes both ways

Braun was basically at his season averages and definitely showed up. He outplayed Harden for 3 quarters. I think when you have Jokic... you can survive a bad Jamal game than the Clippers with BOTH Kawhi and Harden having bad games (until the 4th they woke up a little). But either way, Nuggets shouldn't have been up 22 to begin with on the road, so the Clippers 100% deserved to lose.

Clippers really fked themselves because now Denver has some confidence back going home for 2 of 3, and Jokic can be trusted way more than Harden or Kawhi to leave it all on the floor the rest of the series. If they had gone up 3-1 it gives them a margin for error a bit. Now they have zero. This is a career swinging moment for Harden and Kawhi. If they drop off bad these next 3 games (along with yesterday), they are taking a big hit as playoff chokes/ disappointments again (Kawhi in 2020, Harden in a couple other years like 2015). Jokic's legacy will obviously benefit from beating a team that swung to being very favored last game.

The one thing I will call out though about Denver is they keep dramaticizing the hell out of their injuries, yet the players keep playing fine. Aaron Gordon claiming he literally can't jump off the floor, MPJ claiming he can't lift his arm... just feels like bull. You don't go into an NBA game catching lobs, dunking, hitting multiple 3's if you're truly that injured. So it feels like a weak cop out for if they lost or underperformed.

[BigGargamel]

This series realistically should of been a sweep. Clippers absolutely **** themselves in game 1 and 4. Jokic being a demi-god + timely contributions from Gordon have made this series 2-2. I'm still expecting Clippers in 6-7. Only way Denver can win this is if they get one crazy Murray game.

I've said it before, but according to this board, Denver has never actually "won" a playoff game. It's always the other teams that "lost".

[OkcSinceSGA]

This series realistically should of been a sweep. Clippers absolutely **** themselves in game 1 and 4. Jokic being a demi-god + timely contributions from Gordon have made this series 2-2. I'm still expecting Clippers in 6-7. Only way Denver can win this is if they get one crazy Murray game.

I've said it before, but according to this board, Denver has never actually "won" a playoff game. It's always the other teams that "lost".

I PERSONALLY think the 2023 run was very legit. Sure they didn't beat the most elite teams, but they earned it fair and square and it's silly to penalize teams for playing who advances. For example Boston constantly played injured teams last year but that doesn't mean they aren't deserving champions. But in this particular series.... I do think it would be 3-1 Clippers if you ran this in a simulator 100x or something. So the Nuggets likely picked up 1 game they should not have won. But that's part of sports and when you have Jokic, the greatest basketball player on the planet... that "luck" you'll see happens more often.

With that said... even IF the Clippers were up 3-1.... when you have a Jokic God tier legend on your team, you can never fully count a team out.

[Optms]

Clips taking the next one. Still got this one over in 6.