A couple of minutes later, he has Leonard in his face, and gets so flustered he turns it over..
Murray and Jokic are accountable for half of Denvers points in the postseason, and when among them is getting contained like this, they just have no opportunity..
Clippers on the verge of history.
The Game 4 win gave the Clippers a 3-1 lead in this series, which puts them not just in complete control, but on the verge of history. Another win, and theyll be on to the Western Conference finals for the very first time in franchise history..
Dating back to their launching in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves, the Clippers have actually never ever been past the second round of the playoffs. In fact, theyve just managed to win 6 playoff series because entire time, and that includes their first-round triumph over the Mavericks. Their 50-year conference finals drought is the longest in the NBA..
Presuming the Clippers finish the job eventually in the next couple of games, the Atlanta Hawks (44 years) will take control of the unflattering title, with the Washington Wizards (41 years) not far behind..
This was not an offensive work of art from the Clippers. He put the Clippers on his back, dropping a smooth 30 points, 11 rebounds and 9 helps, to go along with four steals and two blocks. The Clippers had a mediocre offensive game, but they still won by double digits because of their efforts on the protective end. In this series, though, hes only handling 17.8 points per game and 38.2 percent shooting. Dating back to their launching in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves, the Clippers have actually never ever been past the 2nd round of the playoffs.
It was his 6th 30-point game in 10 trips this postseason, and Leonard is now setting up 29.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.7 helps and 2.3 takes per video game, while shooting 51.5 percent. The Game 2 loss to the Nuggets was his only bad video game so far, and hes showing as soon as again that hes the best player in the league come playoff time..
With Leonard playing like this, its going to be difficult to beat the Clippers 4 times in a series..
Clippers make life hard for Murray.
The Clippers had an average offending video game, but they still won by double digits since of their efforts on the protective end. They limited the Nuggets to 39.7 percent shooting and required 14 turnovers. In particular, they made life incredibly hard for young Nuggets star Jamal Murray.
Murray was significant against the Jazz in the first round, creating some historic efficiencies. In this series, though, hes just handling 17.8 points per video game and 38.2 percent shooting. That trend continued in Game 4, as he completed with 18 points on 6 of 15 from the field..
While the Clippers arent always the most constant group on the protective end, they do have some elite boundary defenders in Patrick Beverley and Leonard, and they combined to ensure Murray never had a break. Simply take these series in the 3rd quarter.
Beverley goes after Murray around screens, pesters him on the drive and forces a tough layup that Murray misses out on.
The Los Angeles Clippers have actually taken full control of their second-round series with the Denver Nuggets by capitalizing off a fantastic start, and travelling to a 96-85 triumph in Game 5 to take a 3-1 series lead. The Clippers are now just one win far from their first conference finals trip in franchise history.
It took the Clippers only about eight minutes to build a double-digit lead, and they kept that advantage for much of the game. Kawhi Leonard controlled, ending up with 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine helps for a near triple-double, while Montrezl Harrell came off the bench to chip in 15.
Nikola Jokic did his thing, almost tape-recording a triple-double of his own with 26 points, 11 rebounds and six helps, but he didnt get any help. Jamal Murray, in specific, had a difficult night, choosing 18 points on 6-of-15 from the field. As a team, the Nuggets shot 39.7 percent and turned the ball over 14 times..
Here are some crucial takeaways from the game:.
Kawhi controls.
This was not an offending masterpiece from the Clippers. They shot 41.8 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from 3-point land and needed to grind out 30 free-throw efforts to keep their offense afloat. On nights like that, you need your best player more than ever, and Kawhi Leonard provided.
He put the Clippers on his back, dropping a smooth 30 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, to accompany four takes and two blocks. It was simply another consistent efficiency from the ruling Finals MVP, who always seems to be in total control. Nothing fazes him, not the minute nor the opposing team..
