Before Tonight’s Game 7 between Toronto and Boston, we will have to make way for Game 5 between the Clippers and the Nuggets. The Angelinos lead 3-1 in the series and… how to put it, they give off a big sense of control against a Denver team that is a little blunt and can’t quite compete. Mission win or go home, therefore, for Nikola Jokic and his friends at 12:30 am.
It’s a complicated mission that awaits the Nuggets tonight, in Game 5. There was hope after Game 2 and a good victory to return to 1-1, but the following oppositions have cooled the ardor of everybody. Rounds 3 and 4 mastered by Clippers who got to work, and it’s 3-1, ouch. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, the defense which is increasing in intensity, the collective which is well in place… the Angelinos finally look like what we had imagined last summer when the two All-Stars arrived, even if we can still expect a little more consistency. It will have taken a while, but Doc Rivers’ men dominate their subject in this semi-final, and will have to continue their momentum tonight. Because there is a series to be completed to put an exclamation point on their superiority. We will just have to leave the flip-flops in the closet to leave no chance for the Nuggets who have experience of elimination matches. But we are not going to lie, if the Clippers are concentrated as in Game 4, they should go straight to the first conf ‘final in their history, the stakes are high.
As we have said, the mission promises to be hardcore for the Nuggets, but it’s up to them to make us lie. Even though, opposite, it’s Los Angeles and not Utah, they’ve been in that kind of situation earlier in this campaign. Will they still be able to react with their backs to the wall? That is the question. Nikola Jokic made his series by chaining the good performance and runs at 24.8 points, 11 rebounds and 5.3 assists at 50.9% shooting including 36.5% from parking. The Joker is making his series but he is quite alone. Jamal Murray is blocked by the untenable outside defense of the Clippers and around, it struggles to do well. And in all this hassle, Michael Porter Jr. has made it clear to everyone that he wants more balloons. The atmosphere is not looking good at Les Pépites and now is not the time to shoot up. In the end, it’s hard to be really optimistic about Denver. But the Nuggets are still alive for now and have a chance to revive by sticking together, it’s up to them to go get it.
The Clippers are logically favorites in this Game 5 with a momentum totally in their favor, it is now up to our favorite breaded chickens to make us lie to restart the series. We meet at 12:30 am to attend perhaps the first qualification in the final of the Clippers ‘conf’, before moving on to a small Game 7 from behind the bundles.
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