2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West First Round: #4 Denver Nuggets vs #5 LA Clippers (Series tied 1-1)

[AleksandarN]

Good game Clips. Jok’s missed fts and turnovers are big factors in us losing the game. Good thing is Jokic rarely play this bad.

[sp6r=underrated]

No doubt in my mind now that Denver is the better team but it's almost impossible to win games with the kind of mental mistakes they're making tonight.

LAC is clearly the better team. they have the 2nd, 3rd and 4th best players on the court and the deeper bench. tonight was much more of a must-win game for Denver than it was for LAC. Clips most likely in 6 now, but Clips in 5 wouldnt shock me either.

I don't agree the series is over but agree with your take. The Clippers roster is just much stronger than Denver as is the coaching

[Revived]

Kawhi is gonna get injured at some point. He always does.

[uncleduck13]

Healthy Peak Kawhi > KD btw

[f4p]

Jokic missed 4 free throws and had 7 turnovers? Did he have an aneurysm?

[doogie_hauser]

Jokic having to play so many mins is definitely impacting him. He played 43 mins tonight. That’s kind of insane for a guy his size. After having played like 50 mins two days ago.

Then you realize every star player is playing heavy mins. I guess being gassed only applies to Jokic.

I don't think Joker was gassed, he just somewhat choked and crumbled under the pressure in clutch time, which was very unusual for him

Knowing the pro he is, I am sure Jokic wouldn't want anyone making excuses for him

[Doranku]

Kawhi legitimately elevates himself to one of 2-3 best players in the world if he's healthy and it's playoff time, 39 points on 19 shot is absolutely wild

This is just what Kawhi does in the playoffs. In the last full series he played against the Mavs, he had games of:

41 points on 21 shots
36 points on 17 shots
29 points on 15 shots
45 points on 25 shots
28 points on 15 shots

Legendary jump shooter in the playoffs.

[California Gold]

Kawhi has to score only
Jokic has to do everything and he gets **** on. So lame. Kawhi doesn’t create or rebound.

And yet Kawhi is still the best player in this series.

The whining is hilarious.

[Infinite Llamas]

I mean, Kawhi also has the luxury of getting a couple six minute rest breaks. Jokic has to play 48 just for his team to have a chance to win…

[Optms]

Kawhi has to score only
Jokic has to do everything and he gets **** on. So lame. Kawhi doesn’t create or rebound.

Kawhi literately is playing both sides of the ball while Jokic takes off the other side of the floor. Stop

[Wolfgang630]

Aaron Gordon missing a point blank dunk sucked the soul out of Denver fans. Absolute Westbrook moment

[doogie_hauser]

Paul George's reputation just took another dive

Maybe Pandemic P was the thing holding Kawhi and the Clippers from more meaningful playoff success all along ???

[ejftw]

Kawhi has to score only
Jokic has to do everything and he gets **** on. So lame. Kawhi doesn’t create or rebound.

Kawhi also doesn't act like he's Evil Kenivel getting shot out of a cannon

[Tracymcgoaty]

Kawhi has to score only
Jokic has to do everything and he gets **** on. So lame. Kawhi doesn’t create or rebound.

Jokic needs to leave that team and go play with a legit 2nd option.

[SpurNani]

Even if Denver somehow wins this series, they might get swept by OKC. They've put way too many minutes on Jokic already

[ForeverTFC]

Jokic had a bad game for his standards, Kawhi went into god mode, and Nuggets just get killed with turnovers. Despite that they lost by 1 possession .. you will take that all day as a Nuggets fan.

Nuggets also needed a quiet Kawhi game and 20 Clippers turnovers to win game 1 in OT by 2 points.

This is what this series is going to come down to. Best matchup of the first round by far.

[HotRocks34]

No doubt in my mind now that Denver is the better team but it's almost impossible to win games with the kind of mental mistakes they're making tonight.

LAC is clearly the better team. they have the 2nd, 3rd and 4th best players on the court and the deeper bench. tonight was much more of a must-win game for Denver than it was for LAC. Clips most likely in 6 now, but Clips in 5 wouldnt shock me either.

No. This series is over in max 6 with Denver winning if Porter is not hurt and they don't have a 1/1 A/T ratio in games moving forward.

Denver is simply better. But they have to play smarter and not be hurt with Porter.

Denver should have won this game with Kawhi shooting 15/19 and Denver having 20 turnovers.

They're just the better team.

[Raps in 4]

Healthy Peak Kawhi > KD btw

It isn't even close. I remember getting roasted for this take years ago while KD was riding Steph's coattails to a pair of rings.

[Pistol_Pete]

7 turnovers, 2 in the last two minutes, and a dozen flops brutal performance tonight

You ought to credit Zubac for hustling with Jokic and being constant on offence he is averaging like 19-13-3 in the series so far

Clippers got this.

Zubac will get that all series long. And no one is stopping Kawhi. Series is a wrap jack.

If that’s the case the only regret I have is not being able to watch Joker completely own the Lakers

[Optms]

Kawhi has to score only
Jokic has to do everything and he gets **** on. So lame. Kawhi doesn’t create or rebound.

Jokic needs to leave that team and go play with a legit 2nd option.

Luka is looking for a robin.