Thunder’s favourite match: Clippers or Nuggets?
For the ring crew, talk about if the Thunder would like to face clippers or nuggets within the second spherical of the NBA qualifiers
Los Angeles – James Harden and Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles Clippers in a 111-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets in match 6.
With the collection now on tie at 3, the collection of first rounds will finish in Denver with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder Pending the winner.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue referred to a “temperature verification” earlier than the match in the course of the avant-match media availability, taking into consideration the victory or goison scenario.
Harden ended the night with 28 factors, eight assists and 6 rebounds in 47 minutes of play.
It was a rebound efficiency for the 16 -year -old veteran of his latest outings, having scored solely 26 factors mixed in matches 4 and 5.
Lue referred to as his gamers to take the temperature of his group for a day without work after a defeat in every of the 2 video games within the collection.
“He often does this,” stated Leonard about LUE phone calls. “Whether or not sequences or defeats, simply to see what we take into consideration the programming and the way we must always play with the matches. … It’s fairly good on this space.”
Leonard produced a double-double with 27 factors and 10 rebounds.
The Clippers constructed an early momentum within the first quarter, however the Nuggets completed the opening interval with an advance of 28-25. It managed to maintain the match close by within the second quarter earlier than shifting away from the locker room at halftime.
The Clippers lead the 80-66 Nuggets with 3:56 to do within the third quarter, one in every of their largest tracks of the night time after Norman Powell led to a decisive cross by Nicolas Batum.
Powell offered a spark with 11 of his 24 factors within the third.
Whereas Nuggets diminished the clippers’ advance within the fourth quarter, Powell struck a 3-point pointer to increase the advance at 110-101 with 1:40 on the left and put the match out of vary for the Nuggets.
The Clippers preceded the Nuggets 33-29 within the second quarter to take an advance of 58-57 at halftime.
The MVP finalist, Nikola Jokic, didn’t reach Triple-Double on Thursday, ending with 25 factors, eight assists and 7 rebounds for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray adopted her 43 -point efficiency in match 5 with 21 factors, eight rebounds and eight assists.
“We nonetheless had some errors this night, however I believe that our defensive power and even offensively our aggressiveness was completely different,” stated Harden. “It begins with me. We’re going to watch a movie and discover one thing by which I can enhance and do it for yet another sport. ”
Nuggets able to match physicality
Nikola Jokic was seen making a gesture to the officers for the dearth of faults which aren’t referred to as the mowers when he had the ball a number of instances all through the match.
Whereas the Nuggets star might have frolicked expressed in the course of the match, Nugget coach David Adelman spoke after the match and clearly stated that his group was able to match the fashion of play in match 7.
“Nikola is numerous throbbing,” stated Adelman. “I do not know what was occurring tonight, however for him to shoot two free throws with the quantity of contact that was occurring, he was completely loopy.
“They put Smalls on him. These little ones have been allowed to do what they wished, so I’m actually excited for Saturday that we can do the identical factor with their greatest gamers, as a result of if it’s the physics with which we’re allowed to play, we are going to react, and we are going to go there in match 7.”
Jokic went only one in 2 of the Frankish throw line and returned the ball 4 instances.
The mowers stay wholesome
The Clippers managed to complete the primary six video games within the Wholesome collection, however latest historical past didn’t work in favor of the group. The group had misplaced within the first spherical in every of the final two years.
Leonard was restricted in the course of the two years, taking part in two qualifying video games in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
“I admire every match. I’ve been on the sidelines in recent times within the playoff collection,” stated Leonard. “So I don’t take it without any consideration. I simply attempt to cherish each second and to thank God that I’m able to play.”
