This is a night that we risk talking about for a long time to come. In Colorado as in California, and even in Brittany or in Berry for that matter. You could tell, it was in the air, and the Nuggets did it. Be down 3-1 against the Clippers? To the Clippers of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George? After having – already – raised such a disbursement in the first round? No problem, Denver is in the Conference Finals and the Clippers are on vacation. Unbelievable.
The mood was clearly in favor of the Nuggets and… we let you imagine the face of the Clippers this morning at the hotel. On the one hand the feeling of accomplished duty, and on the other … that of supreme shame, the shame of having blew a 3-1 lead, the shame of adding another line to the CV of losers of the Californian franchise . However ? The Clippers will have had it well in hand this Game 7, like Game 5, like Game 6. A lead that rises to ten points or more despite a phenomenal second quarter time from Jamal Murray (20 points and 40 in the end), but as usual a lead that will melt and even worse, which will quickly become a chasm in favor of the Nuggets. Because if the first half will finally be fairly balanced, the third quarter will be another sign of the feverish state in which the Clippers have been for several weeks. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are untenable, opposite Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are disastrous and the mere fact of writing that JaMychal Green is the best player of the Clippers is chilling.
18 points scored by LA in the third round, the Nuggets who are quietly preparing to do it again for the third time in a row, and the men of Doc Rivers who will simply offer them the meal on a plate, champagne in addition. Paul Millsap returns his only two shots of the night at the best of times, the fourth quarter is even more slammed than the last, and while the All-Star duo (come on, we can) of the Nuggets enter each minute a little more in legend, the Clippers miss everything they try. Two unfortunate points scored in the first six minutes of the fourth, the evil is deep, and a gap that climbs, climbs and climbs until we understand the unthinkable: yes Denver will eliminate the Clippers, and validate one of the biggest chokes of recent years, perhaps tied with a choke from the… Clippers in 2015 or a choke from the… Clippers in 2014. In short, it’s an earthquake, initiated it is true by a magnificent team of the Nuggets but well magnified all the same by the new huge diaper fill of Doc Rivière’s men. The last minutes will only be the funeral oration of a cardboard giant who has fallen in the face of stronger and more focus than him, and the final score will be just one more way of seeing the enormous cracking of the end of the series …
104-89 Nuggets, 33 points only conceded in the second half, that is to say 7 less than the only Jamal Murray on this Game 7. Nikola Jokic takes the opportunity to gorge himself with records with a small… 16/22/13/2 / 3 families, while the Kawhi / PG duo will end their evening with a dripping 10/38 on the shot and a huge headache that could last for weeks. We would have liked a Los Angeles derby in the Conference Final? For the fame ? We will have a Lakers – Nuggets, and so much the better because Denver deserved it much better than their very sad opponent.
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