Clippers Strike Back, Even Tight Series Against Nuggets

In a seven-game series, every win counts. Snatching a key victory or winning early on can swing momentum towards one team and take it away from another.

It can also cause a team that’s already winning to pull too far ahead or bury the one that’s behind.

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

That’s why it’s so important for those down 0-1 to win the second game in a series

A two game hole is one teams rarely climb out of, even when they get a chance to rebound at home. As such, the Clippers, by winning in Denver on Monday night, may have just saved their season.

The team suffered a tough overtime loss in game one

They could have let that derail them. Could have let the loss rattle their resolve and had been going back to Los Angeles with a mountain to climb. Luckily, they didn’t blink. And luckily, they have Kawhi Leonard.

Tough Down the Stretch

Despite being down a game in the series, the Clippers didn’t need to change much going into game two. The Nuggets, despite their recent struggles and coach firing, are one of the best teams in the world.

Los Angeles just needed to keep playing tough and up to competition. That’s exactly what they did

The Clippers came out a bit sluggish, falling behind six at the end of the first quarter, before winning the second quarter to take a three point halftime lead. The game then remained deadlocked the rest of the way.

The Nuggets won the third quarter by a point, the Clippers won the fourth quarter by a point, and Los Angeles managed to escape Denver with a meager 105-102 victory.

The margin for error is incredibly small in such tight matchups, but the Clippers never faltered

The team played solid basketball on both sides of the floor. While their defense had few answers for Nikola Jokic (26 points) and Jamal Murray (23 points), they did a great job at limiting the bench and preventing anyone else from stepping up.

That toughness and hustle play was a big reason the Clippers managed to keep their lead down the stretch.

They didn’t give up any easy shots, and anytime Denver seemed to gain momentum, they snatched it right back. That style of gritty ball is what’s needed in evenly-matched series.

The Return of Playoff Kawhi

There were many reasons the Clippers took down game two, but none were bigger than Kawhi Leonard. The superstar has long been the team’s heartbeat, and he continues to show why he’s such an important piece to the team.

The two guard continued what has already been a hall of fame career by putting the entire team on his back

He scored 39 points, snagged three rebounds, and dished out five assists. He showed excellent defensive tenacity as well.

He was everywhere on the court, and once again proved that if Los Angeles wants to go on a deep run this year they’re going to need him to have huge nights.

He doesn’t have to do everything all the time, but he does need to show up when things are dire

His big night took away from the other players, but all were more than happy to play support roles and feed the hot hand. Even Harden, who usually goes for huge nights, ended with only 18 points.

Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell also had 16 and 13 respectively

The Clippers will likely need a bit more external production in the coming games, but those four are the team right now. If one of them wants to take over, it’s up to the others to recognize that and try to let them go off.

Neck-and-Neck

If there’s one thing to take away from the series so far, it’s that the Clippers and Nuggets are evenly matched. Both squads have great players who are more than capable of taking over games. They also rely on tough, physical basketball.

Jokic is almost impossible to stop, as is Jamal Murray

The Nuggets’ two-pronged attack continues to put up big stats, and will likely maintain their momentum throughout the series.

If the Clippers want to win, their best bet is to hassle both players while limiting the role players as much as they can.

Jokic and Murray having big games isn’t necessarily going to sink Los Angeles. Rather, it’s production from players like Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. that are going to put the Clippers away.

The more Clippers can limit that bench production, the more pressure they put on the stars

Despite the recent game, the series is going to come down to team basketball. The closer the games get, the higher the stakes.

While the stars undoubtedly shine in such moments, it’s the role players limiting mistakes that tend to push teams past the finish line.

If the Clippers can get that, plus a few more clutch shots from Leonard, they could get to the second round.