Image Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Agony for Clippers as Nuggets Survive Fourth Quarter Rally to Advance into Second Round of NBA Playoffs

. The No. 4 seed Nuggets will face the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.

Image Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Nuggets outclassed the Los Angeles Clippers 120-101 in Game 7 to qualify for the Western Conference semifinals. Denver’s early 35-point lead helped them control the game despite a late comeback from Los Angeles. The No. 4 seed Nuggets will face the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. It’ll be the sixth time in the last seven seasons that the Nuggets advanced to the second round of the Playoffs.

Aaron Gordon led all scorers with 22 points, and Christian Braun had 21. Nikola Jokic dropped 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook scored 16 points each, and Michael Porter Jr. had 15. Kawhi Leonard paced the Clippers with 22 points. James Harden and Ivica Zubac had their worst game of the series.

DENVER ADVANCES TO WEST SEMIS WITH A DOMINANT CLOSE TO GAME 7 💯👏 pic.twitter.com/7u1Pi09cl0
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2025

Also Read: The Upcoming Weekend Is Full of Action Packed Games Featuring Multiple Game Sevens

Third Quarter Explosion from Nuggets Put Clippers Out of the Contest

The Clippers kept the Nuggets silent in the opening quarter and forced Denver to shoot just 38.1 percent from the field. Jokic and Murray started the game 0-8 from the field, and Los Angeles built a five-point lead. However, Denver responded in the second quarter with a 16-4 run. The Nuggets flipped a 5-point deficit into an 11-point lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Nuggets were all over the Clippers and knocked the visitors out of the contest. Denver had a 21-0 run that was started by a Jokic floater. They did have a 29-point lead just a minute before heading into the final quarter. The Nuggets outscored the Clippers 35-19 to take a 93-66 lead after three quarters.

17 UNANSWERED POINTS.
24-4 RUN.
35 POINTS IN THE QUARTER.

DENVER EXPLODED IN THE THIRD ON TNT ‼️ pic.twitter.com/uVYQimCXN6
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2025

The fourth period was crucial for the Clippers, and the Nuggets had a game-high 35-point lead. Nuggets’ interim coach David Adelman pushed his bench player to walk in with six minutes left in the game. Adelman sent his starters back in at the 4-minute mark. Los Angeles went on a 22-8 run in the middle through the fourth quarter, but couldn’t recover from the damage.

Also Read: Austin Reaves Injury Update- Reports of Austin Reaves Playing Through Toe Sprain in NBA Playoffs Surface

James Harden, who played 47 minutes in Game 6 with 28 points, had a terrible Game 7 with 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting. Ivica Zubac chipped in 10 points for the second straight game. Denver’s 19-point win was their biggest Game 7 win in the franchise’s playoff history. The Nuggets also became the first team ever to have six players score 15+ each in a Game 7 win.

Image Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Denver Nuggets

Los Angeles Clippers

Nikola Jokic

Gulshan Sharma

nba

soccer

wnba

A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.