The Denver Nuggets have shocked the world...again.
The Nuggets completed their second 3-1 series comeback of this postseason, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in Tuesday night's Game 7, 104-89, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009.
Here are the key takeaways from this Western Conference semifinals Game 7:
1. Comeback Kings
The Nuggets had already become one of only 11 teams in NBA history to complete a 3-1 comeback when they stormed back to defeat the Utah Jazz in the first round.
Now, Denver has become the first team in NBA history to complete two 3-1 comebacks in one postseason.
The Nuggets fought back from double-digit deficits in Games 5 and 6, as well as a 9-point deficit in Game 7, to pull off the most improbable comeback since their last comeback.
For the Clippers, this is just more anguish for a franchise that still hasn't reached the Western Conference Finals in its history.
LA has now blown a 3-1 lead twice in the past five seasons, after losing a 3-1 advantage in the 2015 Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.
Both series losses have come under Doc Rivers' supervision.
2. Leonard, George come up short
The Clippers All-Star duo didn't live up to its billing in Game 7, shooting a combined 10-for-38 for 24 points, and it continued a trend of George struggling in elimination games as of late.
For Leonard, he struggled to get going in the second half and it cost the Clippers with their season on the line. He only had two games this postseason where he scored less than 20 points, both of which came in this series.
He finished with 14 points on Tuesday.
The clock is now ticking on Leonard, George and the Clippers, considering both wings have player options in their contracts after next season and can hit free agency in 2021.
3. Denver duo proves too dynamic
While the Clippers star duo was hailed as one of the best in the NBA this season, the Denver tandem of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray has burst onto the scene and established themselves as one of the dominant 1-2 punches in the league.
Both players made history in the Nuggets' historic Game 7 win.
The Nuggets are now 3-1 in Game 7s the last two postseasons, the best record of any team in that span.
For Murray, Tuesday was the fourth time this postseason he scored at least 40 points, and for Jokic, it was his ninth time this postseason he grabbed at least 10 boards.
Jokic and Murray have now taken out one of the most hailed duos in the NBA and they now have LeBron James and Anthony Davis in their sights in the Western Conference Finals, which will begin on Friday.
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September 16, 2020 at 12:06PM
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