Clippers Lose To Denver, 104-89.
- Updated: September 16, 2020
UNBELIEVABLE, DEVASTATING, HARD TO IMAGINE, UPSETTING, STUNNING, DISBELIEF, these are some of the thoughts of Los Angeles Clippers fans today as they are trying to guess what happened last night in game 7 of the Western Conference Semis against the Denver Nuggets. As the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Clippers, 104-89.
The Nuggets made NBA history last night in Orlando, coming back for the second-straight time form a 3-1 deficit to win the series. Just remember the last time it happened in the NBA Championship Finals when the Cleveland Cavs came back on the Golden State Warriors who were the defending champs and were winners of 73 games in the 2016 season.
Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 40 points and was very deadly from the three-point stripe hitting 6 of 13. Nikola Jokic manhandled the Clippers under the boards grabbing 22 rebounds and 16 points as the Nuggets advance to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2009, they will face the Lakers for the right to advance to the NBA Finals.
What happened to the Clippers’ two stars? looking at the numbers the Clippers were never in this game, Kawhi Leonard, 14 points with 44 minutes played, finished the game with a -21,
Paul George, 10 points, 38 minutes played and he finished with a -20. The only player on the Clippers roster that showed up was Montrezl Harrell, who led the Clips with 20 points.
The Clippers had a very nice season, making a deep playoff run for the eighth straight seasons, the longest in franchise history, but failing to reach the Conference Finals where they have never been. The big signing of Leonard and George last summer gave this team a glimpse of hope that the fans of the Clippers never had.
With the collapse of the Clippers this season, they will be the discussion of the league over the course of the remainder of the playoffs and the off-season. Did Doc Rivers make the right decisions with both Goerge and Leonard? Should Lou Williams become a starter instead of their sixth-man? Is Doc the right coach for this team? These questions should be answered during the offseason and through the Draft and the Free-Agency period. But the Clippers have to realize is the fact that they are not going to be the best team in LA unless they win an NBA title and beating the Lakers on that title run. Remember, Champions get the respect, just look at the Toronto Raptors, they are now one of the best cases after winning the title in 2019.
As we turn the page on this season for the Los Angeles Clips, they did take a giant step forward, but to continue they have to win it all next season.