The Los Angeles Clippers face a critical juncture in their playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, mirroring a situation they navigated in 2021. Just as in that prior series against the Dallas Mavericks, where they overcame a 3-2 deficit to reach the franchise’s first conference finals, the Clippers now trail the Nuggets 3-2, facing a must-win Game 6 at Intuit Dome to avoid elimination.
Clippers center Ivica Zubac, a key member of both the 2021 team and the current squad, acknowledged the formidable challenge posed by the Nuggets, amplified by the presence of superstar Nikola Jokic, All-Star guard Jamal Murray, and Denver’s home-court advantage.
“We got to win,” Zubac emphasized after the Clippers’ Game 5 loss in Denver. “We got to win both. Take it one game at a time. It’s an elimination game for us. So, we can’t start out like this. We got to leave everything out there, play hard, whatever it takes, whatever we have to do. We got to be better. We got to be ready to do whatever it takes. Treat it one game at a time. Win a Game 6, give yourself a chance to come back here [to Denver] and try to force a Game 7.”
Nuggets Made Up Their Mind On Los Angeles Clippers’ James Harden Strategy
A significant factor in the Clippers’ recent struggles has been the performance of James Harden. Over the past two losses, Harden has been limited to 13.0 points per game, with shooting splits of .400/.250/.643, as noted by Law Murray of The Athletic. Murray highlights the gravity of the situation for Harden, who could become a free agent this summer if he declines a $36.3MM player option. Harden has not spoken to the media following the last two games.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue attributed Harden’s difficulties to Denver’s defensive strategy. “I think Denver made their mind up, they are going to try to take him out of the series after the first two or three games,” Lue explained. “They are doing a good job. I got to do a better job of just finding ways to get him open, to get him space and provide more [isolations], just because they are blitzing him so much and trying to beat him to his spots.”
As the Clippers confront elimination in Game 6, their ability to adjust, particularly in maximizing the contributions of their key players, will be crucial in determining whether they can replicate their 2021 comeback and extend their season.