Redemption came in the form of a 35-point blowout on Saturday night. The Denver Nuggets crushed the Los Angeles Clippers 120-101 in a dominant Game 7 performance to win their first-round Western Conference series 4-3 and exorcise some haunting playoff demons from a year ago. It was the franchise’s largest margin of victory in a win-or-go-home scenario and a statement that the defending NBA champions may still have plenty left in the tank.
Nikola Jokic didn’t have to play the hero this time. The two-time MVP delivered a solid line — 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in 33 minutes — but was gladly overshadowed by an avalanche of support from his teammates. Aaron Gordon led the way with 22 points, Christian Braun added 21, and Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook — facing his former team — chipped in 16 apiece. Michael Porter Jr. contributed 15 as all five Denver starters scored in double figures.
Denver erupted with a 17-0 run in the third quarter and outscored L.A. 72-40 over the second and third periods, breaking the game wide open and eliminating any hope of a Clippers comeback. The game turned into a celebration well before the final buzzer, capped off by Westbrook’s technical foul for hanging on the rim after a breakaway dunk made it 107-76 early in the fourth.
For the Clippers, it was a collapse that mirrored many postseason disappointments in the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era. Leonard led L.A. with 22 points, but the Clippers were completely overwhelmed after a promising first quarter. James Harden was a non-factor, held to just 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting thanks in part to Braun’s swarming defense. Ivica Zubac, who had been a steady presence all series, managed just 10 points in his quietest performance of the playoffs.
The Ball Arena crowd, carrying the weight of last year’s stunning Game 7 collapse against Minnesota in Round 2, was anxious early but roared with growing confidence as the Nuggets built their lead. Denver’s dominant showing even silenced a group of over 100 Clippers fans flown in by team owner Steve Ballmer, who had turned rowdy after L.A.’s early 26-21 lead but fell into stunned silence as the rout unfolded.
Now the Nuggets shift their focus to the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who swept the Memphis Grizzlies and have had a full week of rest. The two teams split their regular season series 2-2, but the Thunder — who finished the season 68-14 — are young, deep, and dangerous. As one Denver assistant coach quipped, “We thought we were getting the team that won 68. Turns out, it’s actually a 72-14 team.”
Game 1 of the highly anticipated second-round matchup tips off Monday night in Oklahoma City. If Denver can replicate its Game 7 execution, another epic series may be on the horizon.
