The Denver Nuggets defeated the Raclippers in the decision game and set up their second matchup with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Denver Nuggets dominated the Los Angeles Clippers 120-101 in the Do-or-Die Game 7 of the NBA Playoffs Series, setting up a second round clash with top-seeded Oklahoma City in the Western Conference.
Aaron Gordon scored 22 points, while Christian Brown added 21 points and NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Nikola Zokic added 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Clippers, who won 18 playoffs of their final 21 regular season games, avoided elimination in a compelling Game 6 victory on Thursday.
But the momentum they evaporated in another gloomy performance from James Harden.
Harden scored just seven points and connected in two of his eight shot attempts.
Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points to lead the Clippers.
It looked to be another close game between teams that finished the regular season with the same 50-32 records.
However, the Nuggets seized control by scoring 37 points in the second quarter, continuing to stack control as the 17-0 nugget ran, pushing the lead to 75-50.
The Nuggets led 93-66 in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers couldn’t make a meaningful intrusion, even if Jokic sat down after he had his third, fourth and fifth fouls late in the third.
The Nuggets lead 35 points. They drove the Clippers 54-42 with paint, having the advantage of 46-36 on rebounds, grabbing 22 second chance points for the Clippers 10.
“Everyone is playing,” the Nuggets guarded Jamal Murray, who scored 16 points. “Everyone was ready, and the crowds of the house were hooked on it and we managed to get the job done.”
Russell Westbrook played against his former team, leaving the bench and scoring 16 points with five rebounds, five assists and five steels.
He emphasized the message midway through the fourth quarter, came up with a steal, raced for a dunk, hanging over the rim to deliberately draw a technical foul, and using the moment to further wind the crowd.
Despite the upheaval of the regular season, Nuggets took over as interim head coach when Michael Malone was fired in just three games.
Denver will play Game 1 of the second round of playoff series against the Thunder, who won the league’s best 68 games on Monday.
The series opposes MVP finalists Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander against each other.
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