Nuggets wear out Clippers in Game 7, advance to Round 2

DENVER —Thanks to an incredible effort from the Denver Nuggets bench and a strong close from the team’s stars, they’ve sailed past the Los Angeles Clippers — winning Game 7 120-100, to earn a second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The physical series wore down the veteran Clippers as Denver thrived the longer the game went. Denver rode a wild 17-3 run to start the second half, the Nuggets used an all-around team effort to eventually take a 35-point lead and hang on to quell the team’s Game 7 demons. Unlike last year’s 20-point blown lead in Game 7 of Round 2 against the Wolves, the Nuggets put the hammer in the coffin by keeping the pedal to the floor while minimizing mistakes. The Nuggets thrived from an unfamiliar place, getting a ton from their supporting cast led by Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon.

Braun got the Nuggets started and just kept going. He sparked the team, talked his stuff and hit some huge shots. He scored Denver’s first five points, gave the Nuggets their first lead late in the first quarter, and hit a massive three early in the third quarter. The two-way shooting guard added some menacing defense on James Harden, who shot a brutal 2-for-8. Braun finished with 21 points.

Gordon tallied 22 points, four rebounds and five assists. He added some crowd-pleasing dunks, soft finishes and stiff defense. His matchup Kawhi Leonard, still tallied 22 points but the two-time Finals MVP missed over half of his shots, which was a small win given how good the Claw looked.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray started the game out with a combined nine-straight misses from the field — with neither getting a shot to drop until the second quarter. Jokic still tossed a ton of passes, getting his role players open. And his rebounding in the second quarter was essential as he slowed down a rampaging Ivica Zubac, who had more rebounds than the Nuggets early. Jokic got into foul trouble after Denver’s scorching third-quarter run. But just like the second quarter stint led by Russell Westbrook, the Nuggets did good enough without their MVP. He never needed to check back in but still did briefly. finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Murray finally got flowing in the second half, and he nailed a few shots for 16 points. But the two were pretty stout on defense as the Clippers faded and the long series took a toll on their legs.

The only nice news for the Nuggets moving forward is their stars got a little rest in the fourth quarter given the blow out.

Now the Nuggets meet the Thunder for Game 1 of Round 2 on Monday, with a quick turnaround, the series tipping in the Sooner State.