Fatigue might not be an universally accepted excuse, primarily among the you-have-to-want-it crowd, but tiredness is, at bottom, a contributing cause. The Nuggets Game 1 development supports as much.
Anchorage Man @SethPartnowSo A) the Clippers are the better group, however B) theres a lot of over-analysis going on of the Nuggets for what is about as close to a schedule loss as youre likely to see in the playoffs.
George got the meme treatment for much of the Clippers first-round fight with the Dallas Mavericks. Nobody is chuckling any longer– other than perhaps him. His shooting remains touch-and-go given that his Game 5 detonation versus Dallas (2-of-7 from deep against the Nuggets), however his defensive motor withstands, and its up to the job of securing basically anyone, even if anybody includes Nikola Jokic:.
Jared Wade @Jared_WadeNo amount of Twitter jokes will change the reality that Paul George is one of the finest protectors Ive ever seen. And has actually been for a years. Broke out as a rookie by checking MVP-level DRose in the playoffs and 10 years later is interrupting belongings while safeguarding Nikola Jokic.
Any and all implying appointed to the Los Angeles Clippers 120-97 triumph over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night need to also be administered with a measure of temperance. Blowouts decided before the 4th quarter can not be the standard in this series, not in the 2nd round, and a lot of surely not in the Western Conference.
This particular result was practically an offered prior to the opening tip– if not a fait accompli, then probably near to it. The Clippers last played on Sunday. It makes sense that Kawhi Leonard (29 points on 12-of-16 shooting) remained in his bag.
The Nuggets, on the other hand, are fresh off a physically and mentally draining seven-game set with the Utah Jazz, in which they needed to come back from a 3-1 series deficit. They last played Tuesday night, less than 48 hours before their opening pointer versus Los Angeles. When he understood how rapidly Denver must turn around, Jamal Murrays face actually plunged.
The Clippers last played on Sunday. The Clippers have not come out of no place. The Clippers arent even technically entire. George got the meme treatment for much of the Clippers first-round fight with the Dallas Mavericks. Structurally, though, the Clippers are constructed to withstand whatever punches Denver throws.
What was prior to supremacy unfinished is now, well, ended up. Follow him on Twitter( @danfavale ), and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by B/Rs Adam Fromal.
Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
They went bucket-for-bucket with the Clippers in the opening frame, knotting the rating up at 31, however a 38-20 second-quarter onslaught in favor of Los Angeles opened things up for excellent. Head coach Mike Malone was left waving the white flag by the 4th quarter.
Maybe Denver gets better in Game 2 and beyond. It might happen. Murray will shoot much better. Jokic will shoot much better. Michael Porter Jr. will definitely shoot better. The Nuggets at big will not go 9-of-36 (25 percent) from range every night.
Structurally, however, the Clippers are built to hold up against whatever punches Denver tosses. They will still have those games in which theyre not going complete throttle.
Beverleys return is symbolic of the Clippers postseason peak.Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press/Associated Press.
Beverley played simply over 12 minutes versus the Nuggets, however they were impactful. He struck some 3s (two), got many rebounds (6) and ensured, as constantly, his existence was felt at the defensive end. He represented overall availability for the Clippers, a return that felt more like an arrival given how rarely theyve had an entire roster at their disposal..
The starting lineup they released in Game 1– Beverley, George, Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., Ivica Zubac– has actually logged a combined 165 minutes through the routine season and playoffs. That totals up to hardly whenever at all, even when representing Morris trade-deadline arrival.
The Clippers arent even technically whole. Who understands when Beverley will have the green light to play more minutes.
Still, for the first time in a long time, and possibly ever, the Clippers are close to dealing with their full toolbox of weapons. And theyre playing the basketball to match.
Leonards postseason heroism is well developed, but even as he bagged his second champion and Finals MVP last year, he was laboring through knee injuries. This is, without question, the healthiest hes looked given that prior to his initial best quad injury with the San Antonio Spurs. Hes averaging 32.3 points for the playoffs on a mind-melting 64.5 percent shooting inside the arc, including an unreal-yet-somehow-real 59.4 percent clip on twos outside the restricted area.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportKawhi getting whatever he desires.
For the Nuggets, in the consequences of their surrender, this series begins, essentially, on Saturday night. Theyre identifying the Clippers a win, which isnt perfect, but its framing around which they can rally– a description for what simply took place. That context matters, in the meantime, and will continue to until Game 2 ends..
And yet, the nagging, uneasy, seemingly reductive concern still needs to be asked: What if it doesnt?
The Clippers have not come out of no place. It is not just possible theyre peaking at the ideal time.
Nothing epitomizes this developing, if inevitable, crescendo better than Patrick Beverleys return from a left calf stress after making simply one look in the preliminary. His play throughout Game 1 isnt as symbolic as the fact that he dipped into all.
The Clippers have actually invested the entire season waiting to smell full strength. If theyre not waiting on someone to recuperate from an injury, theyre waiting out Paul Georges Disney World jumper, other than that does not absolutely matter, because theyve constantly been awaiting someone to recuperate from injury.
Morris continues to compete at the less glamorous end and, more seriously, is starting to take a look at house within Los Angeles offense. He does not have the ball in hands almost as much as he carried out in New York, however hes welcoming a role that affords him situational license and tasks him with downing 3s. He went 4-of-5 from long variety in Game 1 and is now a bonkers 18-of-31 (58.1 percent) on triples for the playoffs.
Zubac has for one of the most part moved his feet extremely well outside the paint. He never looked overmatched versus whatever frontcourt positioning Dallas uncorked, and that streak has so far extended to Denver. Jokic didnt come anywhere near gobbling him up and spitting him out.
Excellent luck to the Nuggets backup bigs, specifically Mason Plumlee, as they try to figure out how to deal with the ruthless Montrezl Harrell. Lou Williams looks like hell consume in determined dosages throughout this series. And then JaMychal Green. Thats it. Thats the sentence. Hes understatedly solid and mainly developed to withstand whatever model of the Nuggets is on the floor.
He has 27 PTS and counting https://t.co/Gq7VfMATA7.
The Clippers are entire again, or maybe for the very first time. Either way, thats bad news for everyone else.Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press.
Not anymore.
