2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West First Round: #4 Denver Nuggets vs #5 LA Clippers (DEN WINS 4-3)

[bisme37]

Game 7: Saturday May 3, 7:30pm ET on TNT



Thread continued from here: https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2455954

[mademan]

I wont guess who's gonna win, cause who really knows, but the Clippers really have no business losing. Nuggets really cant defend them

[Wolfgang630]

Leave it to the city of Denver to be the only ones in a game 7 in basketball and hockey lol.

[Iwasawitness]

I'm not the smartest guy in the room but I think whoever wins this game will have the clear advantage in this series.

[TinmanZBoy]

Clippers in 7

[The High Cyde]

What a series man, all the stars are showing up, got great defense, spectacular offense, a GOAT in Jokic, a player born to defend him in Zu, everything in between. The better team may or may not win, luck will reign supreme here I feel.

[PeteyPablo]

I will say the refs will dictate who wins game 7

[Wolfgang630]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=XO0PgrZjS-uU8MmGKL8grQ

Can you find him? Lmao

[tsherkin]

I'm rooting for the Nuggets, but this has been an AWESOME series. It feels more like a later-round matchup, but it's just the first round!

[JM00n69]

Game 7 at home, the altitude will have an effect on both teams now given the short turnarounds and the minutes the starters have played.

Ty Lue played Batum at the 5 instead of Simmons and that worked very well and Batum ended up playing a lot of minutes in the second half. Batum was the initial defender on Jokic outside and played him well 1v1 on the catch and Clips did very well immediately collapsing the paint when it looked liked Jokic was about to get inside. Jokic mentioned this in the post game presser as well and said both Zu and Barnes played great defence on him and made him hesitate and question his moves during the game.

Adelman rightfully called out the refs in the post game presser that the Clippers guards and forwards coming to help on Jokic got away with a lot of contact all game. Jok only had 2FTA.

He said Denver will adjust and play a lot more physically in G7 if that's how the game will be called. And I hope Denver does step up the physicality on D and I also hope refs call G7 as they did this one. The last thing we need is a FT parade and weak fouls. G7, let them play.

Russ missed a wide open dunk and a fast break layup shortly after. Missed another take at the rim in traffic and picked up an offensive foul on another drive. All in the 2nd half. G5 he took five quick open midrange shots, made 3/5. He didn't force it inside into traffic like he did here. That early shotclock pull up midrange shot was his bread and butter back in the OKC days when KD was still there.

He's a worse finisher at the rim in traffic now so just shoot the midrange. And Denver needs scoring from him, he's the only one off the bench that can create movement on offence for himself or others and is willing to actually shoot or drive. He's not good at either but at least he does something.

Denver is a poor defensive team that relies on rebounding and transition offense. Against a set defense they've got no plan other than Murray/Jokic high pnr and hope to create cuts or threes off that. Why not run a play where AG and CB set a back screen for MPJ for an open shot at the same time Murray and Jok are top of the key. Get MPJ some open shots, it's his only positive skill. Open up AG or CB near the baseline with the movement off that backcreen. And WHY has Denver not had a play designed to get AG a quick low post position to catch and iso against the shorter defender? That was the play every time down the court against MIA in the '23 finals. This time he's trying to drive/back down from high post but his dribbling/footwork is **** and his midrange pull up unreliable. Get the man into his spot first ffs it's basketball 101 and you've got a team that has only one player that can defend him down low.

[Mk0]

I'm not the smartest guy in the room but I think whoever wins this game will have the clear advantage in this series.

Oh, hey Magic!

I am leaning Denver atm. I just don't trust James Harden and Denver's got Jokic and home court. If Zu gets two quick fouls this game is toast.

[JM00n69]

I will say the refs will dictate who wins game 7

I hear what you say and that's one of my fears. I do think this being a G7 and this series being so close so far we'll get a good ref team. I hope they let them play and call it same way for both teams. It will most likely be a close game with a lot of eyes watching and Silver surely knows that. They can't afford this to be decided by poor reffereeing or bad calls end of the game. I'm sure the league will get their top refs on it and they'll be told about it as well.

[Handlez]

It pains me to see..

Zubac can actually guard Jokic one on one.

I wouldn't double if I was LA.

[HardenGoat]

I predicted whoever won game 5 would take the series. This puts Denver at home for the win. I think this will take a 2017 Kawhi breakout and a solid Harden, Zu, and Powell game to turn that and nothing short. Murray will be the X factor for Denver this game.

[Wolfgang630]

Hopefully this game refs will give Jokic the whistle. Remembering last year they had a 20+ lead against Minnesota in game 7 and completely blew it.

[JM00n69]

It pains me to see..

Zubac can actually guard Jokic one on one.

I wouldn't double if I was LA.

Zu has been the best 5 in the league against Jokic for five plus years now. He's the best at guarding him in the low post, he's the best when it comes to denying Jokic getting into low post off ball and since Jokic is slow off the dribble he can also guard him out in the perimiter when Jokic does his 3PT fake and then drives after. Zu is also strong enough to box him out and limit his OREBs. This is not new to anyone who actually watches NBA.

[tsherkin]

Hopefully this game refs will give Jokic the whistle. Remembering last year they had a 20+ lead against Minnesota in game 7 and completely blew it.

The amount of illegitimate contact they're letting fly in this series is pretty wild. It reminds me of some old LA series when Shaq was getting absolutely pounded and the refs just swallowed their whistles like jackasses.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Nuggets almost certainly win at home, but considering how close the teams are at their best, worst, average there are obviously a million variables that can happen so who knows.

[ryan in Maine]

Someone's building their legacy tomorrow.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Hopefully this game refs will give Jokic the whistle. Remembering last year they had a 20+ lead against Minnesota in game 7 and completely blew it.

The amount of illegitimate contact they're letting fly in this series is pretty wild. It reminds me of some old LA series when Shaq was getting absolutely pounded and the refs just swallowed their whistles like jackasses.

In all fairness Zu gets the worst whistle in the league arguably. The main gets beat all game long himself.