Clippers surge in second half against Nuggets to force Game 7

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Clippers stars went supernova in Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets, forcing the series back to Colorado for a Game 7 with a 111-105 win.

James Harden and Kawhi Leonard combined for 55 points, 13 assists and 17 rebounds as they kept the Clips’ season alive. Norm Powell added to the action, tickling the twine for 24 points.

It’s the second season in a row that Denver has lost a Game 6 on the road with a chance to close a team out. Last season, the team suffered their worst-ever playoff loss by margin in a Minnesota meltdown. This time it was much closer, with the Nuggets even leading after a quarter. But L.A. sparkled behind Denver’s Nikola-less stretch and rode that momentum through the second quarter using eight Nuggets turnovers until the third, where they exploded for a double-digit lead.

Desperate times with the season on the line called for some desperate tactics by Ty Lue. He relied on veteran forward Nic Batum over defender Kris Dunn, and that was one of the reasons Jamal Murray slowed down after a 12-point first quarter. He finished with just 21 points. Lue never went to Ben Simmons, shortening his bench and even sitting Dunn for the entire second half.

Nikola Jokic propped up the Nuggets for a while, with a massive 15-point second quarter. But he went black hold scored during the Clippers’ hot streak, not scoring until the final minute of the third quarter. L.A. out-scored Denver 32-21 during the period. The Clippers, who had only hit four threes at halftime, hit four more in the third. Jokic’s line was 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

Where Christian Braun stepped up his shot-making hitting five from the field and Russell Westbrook stayed hot for 14 points, but Michael Porter Jr. could not. Playing through a bum shoulder, MPJ didn’t score until the middle of the third quarter and finished with five points.

Denver made a slight comeback late, with a chance to cut the lead to four, but Westbrook blew a fastbreak layup.

Game 7 will be played at Ball Arena on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time; the winner will face Oklahoma City, with that series starting as soon as Monday in the Sooner State.

Now the question in Denver is: will Game 7 in 2025 also be like Game 7 in 2024?