Game 4 will be a cracking contest between the No. 4 and No. 5 in the Western Conference.
Intuit Dome produced another quality clash between two Western Conference heavyweights, the Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers. Los Angeles routed Denver 117-83 in Game 3 to win consecutive games and take a crucial 2-1 lead in the series with one more home game to be played. The Clippers also gave their fans who sit in “The Wall” area behind the basket fabric horse hats to wear.
As we expected, this series is going to be an exciting one, and we can have a winner in Game 7. It will be a strong battle between Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard. The former MVPs are leading their teams in scoring. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. James Harden added 20 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Norman Powell dropped his best game of the series with 20 PTS on 7-for-12 shooting.
The LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets are the two best teams in the Western Conference. These two teams are so evenly matched. The Clippers, who rolled into the playoffs having won 18 of 21, made 20 turnovers in Game 1, and the Nuggets scored 29 points. The story flipped in Game 2 as Denver committed 20 turnovers on Monday and the Clippers turned those giveaways into 21 points. In Game 3, the Nuggets struggled with shooting and went 7-for-24 in 3-point range.
Tyronn Lue’s side made Denver struggle in offensive transition. The No. 5 seed Clippers outscored the Nuggets 30-21 in the second quarter to build a 3-point lead at halftime. The second half remained competitive, and neither team allowed the other to dominate offense. The Clippers improved from the previous game and left the Nuggets with a series of questions ahead of Game 3 in Los Angeles.
David Adelman’s strategic moves during Monday’s matchup add value to Denver’s planning. Nikola Jokic was benched in the initial part of the second quarter when Zubac was on the court. He left the three-time MVP on the court to start the final quarter. Nuggets will surely stretch this series to climax game, but the Clippers will have an upper hand in Game 3.
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Nuggets missed out a golden chance as teams with a 2-0 series lead have advanced to the next round nearly 93% of the time in NBA history. Turnover exchange in first two games put both teams on the same paper, but the Clippers’ defense needs to be figured out. Westbrook’s clutch brilliance in Game 1 proved decisive, but the Nuggets have to pick him smartly. DeAndre Jordan was a smart move and the bench strength would play a big role in Game 4.
The upcoming matchup would test Adelman in countering Leonard, who averaged 28 points in the playoff series to help the Clippers take a 2-1 lead. The first game went into overtime, and the second game had a thrilling end. However, the third game was one-way traffic. Four out of five starters from the Clippers recorded at least 19 points on Friday.
Game 4 will be a cracking contest between the No. 4 and No. 5 in the Western Conference. Pressure is mounting on the Nuggets after few errors in the back-to-back matchups, but no one can write them off for a series-defining game.
Nuggets 112-110 (OT)
Nuggets top-scorers
Clippers top-scorers
Nuggets 102-105 Clippers
Nuggets top-scorers
Clippers top-scorers
Nuggets 117-83 Clippers
Clippers top-scorers
Nuggets top-scorers
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