James Harden scores 28 points and
Clippers force Game 7 with a gritty 111-105 win over Nuggets
[May 02, 2025]
By GREG BEACHAM
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — With the Los Angeles Clippers' season on
the brink, Tyronn Lue took the unusual step of checking in with
several players by phone on their off day. The coach said he “took a
lot of temperatures,” making sure they were mentally ready to fight
for their playoff lives.
In Game 6, the Clippers answered his call.
James Harden had 28 points and eight assists in an outstanding
bounce-back performance, Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and the
Clippers forced a seventh game in their first-round NBA playoff
series with a 111-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday
night.
Norman Powell scored 24 points for the Clippers, who rebounded from
back-to-back losses with an impressive effort at new Intuit Dome.
Los Angeles took control in the second half while playing tenacious
defense on Nikola Jokic, who scored 20 of his 25 points in the first
half.
“I give our guys credit for just staying with it,” Lue said. “(They)
don’t get deflated, and we did a good job. ... I told the guys after
the game, it’s about being a team and whatever it takes to win.
Those guys totally understood it.”
Game 7 is Saturday in Denver.
Jamal Murray scored 21 points for the Nuggets, who lost a potential
series-clinching playoff game for the fourth time in five tries over
the past two seasons since their 2023 championship run. Denver also
blew a 3-2 series lead over Minnesota in the second round last
season.
The Nuggets haven’t won a Game 7 since 2020, when they ousted the
Clippers from the conference semifinals in the Florida bubble.
“They were quicker to the punch,” Murray said. “They played with a
lot more desperation because their backs were against the wall, and
you’ve got to give them credit. The whole game, they brought it.”
[to top of second column] |
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, right, shoots as Denver
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray defends during the first half in Game 6
of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1,
2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Clippers were pushed to this comeback win by
the 35-year-old Harden, who played aggressively and craftily after
receiving criticism for a passive effort in Game 5. Leonard also
stepped up, with the two-time NBA champion adding 10 rebounds and
five assists in an assertive outing.
“It was win or go home, so there were opportunities to be
aggressive, and I took them,” Harden said. “One more game. ... We
didn't want to go home. We've got one more game left.”
Ivica Zubac and Nicolas Batum teamed up for a surprisingly effective
defensive effort on the typically unguardable Jokic. The three-time
MVP was held scoreless for 11 minutes in the third quarter and went
only 2 for 9 in the second half.
Los Angeles led by 15 with less than six minutes to play, but Denver
made an 11-2 run to trim the Clippers’ lead to 107-101 before Powell
buried a 3-pointer with 1:47 left.
Powell’s clutch bucket was Los Angeles’ only field goal in the final
5:57, but the Clips hung on with defense. Russell Westbrook missed a
layup under pressure and had another layup blocked on consecutive
possessions in the final minutes, and Zubac blocked a layup attempt
by Jokic with 24 seconds left.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
