Nuggets Win Game 7, Clippers Blow Another 3-1 Lead

Posted on by Sagar Biswas

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 to move on to the Western Conference Finals.

What We Know:

  • The Clippers once again started off well in this game. They limited Denver to 24 points in the first quarter and opened up a commanding 12 point lead during the first half. However, some stellar scoring by Jamal Murray allowed Denver to cut the deficit to just two points by halftime. The Nuggets second-quarter comeback was a godsend and it propelled them to absolutely rout the Clippers in the second half, outscoring them 50-33 in the final two quarters. The fourth quarter was particularly ugly for the Clippers as they did not hit a shot for seven straight minutes. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George only combined for 24 points on pitiful 10-38 shooting from the field. On the Nuggets’ side, they were able to build a 20 point lead in the fourth quarter thanks to 40 points by Murray and a 16-point, 13-assist, 22-rebound triple-double by Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets won 104-89 to advance to their first conference finals since 2009.
  • The 2019-2020 Los Angeles Clippers become one of the rare teams in NBA history to blow a 3-1 lead in the playoffs. The infamous feat has only happened 13 times and the Clippers have done it twice, with the last time being in 2015. The “Clippers Curse” is a long-running joke in the NBA, but it actually feels real tonight. They have never made the conference finals in the franchise’s 50-year history, with this year being the best chance they’ve ever had. After acquiring two of the best players in the league last summer in Kawhi  Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers were seen as title favorites and anything short of a Western Conference Finals showdown with their rival LA Lakers would be seen as a failure. The Clippers blew a 16-point lead in Game 5, a 19-point lead in Game 6, and a 12-point lead in Game 7. Another year and another second-round exit for this unfortunate franchise.
  • NBA Twitter had so much fun with the Clippers’ embarrassing collapse. Users poked fun at the Clippers’ tortured fanbase, Kawhi Leonard’s legacy, and Paul George’s abysmal “Playoff P” reputation. George faced the bulk of the slander thanks to his 10-point performance in Game 7. Since 2014, George has earned a reputation as a choker in the playoffs, often disappearing in important games where his team needs him. It got worse when he gave himself the “Playoff P” nickname in 2018 and continued to put up subpar performances in the postseason.

All jokes aside, the 2019-2020 Denver Nuggets have cemented their place in NBA history being the only team to successfully come back from multiple 3-1 deficits in the same year. They will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

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