Denver Nuggets win again, taking Kawhi’s Clippers to Game 7 in West
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Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
Flights home from the NBA’s bubble are planned whenever a team is on the cusp of elimination, just in case they’re needed.
Denver is in no hurry to board that plane.
The never-say-die Nuggets pulled off another season-saving comeback – and, after rallying from 19 points down with 22 minutes remaining, they’ll face the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 on Tuesday night for a berth in the Western Conference final.
Nikola Jokic had 34 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and the Nuggets topped the Clippers 111-98 on Sunday to even their West semi-final series at three games apiece. The Nuggets will try to become the first team in NBA history to rally from a pair of 3-1 deficits in the same postseason, after doing so against Utah in the West first round.
Jamal Murray scored 21 for Denver, which got 16 from Gary Harris, 13 from Michael Porter Jr. and 10 from Monte Morris.
Paul George had 33 points, Kawhi Leonard scored 25 and Lou Williams had 14 for the Clippers, who are now 0-7 in games where they could clinch a trip to the conference final.
The Nuggets were down 16 at the half – the fourth time out of six games in the series when they trailed by at least that many in a game – and eventually fell behind by as many as 19 in the third quarter.
Of course, the Nuggets flourish when they’re in trouble.
They saved their season in Game 5 of the opening round by rallying from 15 points down in the third quarter against Utah to set the tone for a rally from a 3-1 series deficit. They saved themselves again in Game 5 of this series, getting down by 16 before coming back to save the season again.
On Sunday, it was more of the same. Now, it’s on to Game 7.