Nuggets Vs. Clippers

The Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers Western Conference Semifinals was one of the most upsetting ones in NBA history. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led the Nuggets to their second comeback in the postseason being down 3-1. The Denver Nuggets were in a 3-1 deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers but they somehow came back. After coming in the opening round against the Utah Jazz, the Nuggets had to come back from three consecutive double-digit deficits against the Clippers to win three straight games and advance to the Western Conference finals.

The Nuggets are the first team in postseason history with three straight double-digit comeback wins when facing elimination. As the Clippers struggled, 23-year-old guard Jamal Murray clutched again in game 7, scoring 40 points on 15-of-26 shooting in 45 minutes. Jokic was dominant, posting a triple-double (16 points, 22 rebounds, 13 assists) the second Game 7 triple-double of his career, tying Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo as the only players to do it. This is the third time that coach Doc Rivers was on the losing end of a series where his team led 3-1. It also happened when he was with Orlando against Detroit in 2003, and with the Clippers against Houston in 2015.

Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic dominated the final three games of the series, especially in late games as the Clippers wore down. For Murray, it was his third 40 point game when facing elimination this postseason, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 40 or more in three elimination games in a single postseason. The Nuggets moved on to their first Western Conference finals since 2009 when Carmelo Anthony led them into a matchup with the Lakers. Considering how Murray and Jokic (25.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 6.0 APG) have been playing through the first two rounds, the Lakers should be worried. The Nuggets are now on Game 3 in the Conference finals and are down 2-0 against the Lakers, so we’ll see if they can come back again.