Looks like the Denver Nuggets were too exhausted to put up a fight after 7 exhausting games in round 1 of the playoff series. It was only till the first quarter that they seemed to be head-to-head with the Los Angeles Clippers. After that, it was all downhill, and the Clippers won with a 23 point lead. It’s no surprise though because we knew the Clippers were way better even before entering this series.
The underdogs really need to bounce back in the next game. If they don’t, Clippers are likely to take a lead from which they won’t be able to recover from.
LA Clippers injury updates and lineup predictions
You don’t just become the second-seeded team in the Western Conference without playing your best. The offense for the Clippers was a piece of cake in Game 1. Now that they are fully healthy, they are flourishing on the defensive end as well. Having the best two wing players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George come with a lot of perks.
Leonard led the team with 29 points and after a disappointing play by George in round 1 against the Mavericks, he seems to have finally found his rhythm and was the second-highest scorer with 19 points. Thanks to Patrick Beverley’s return, their defensive end is also clicking but he is still going to be playing limited minutes.
Thus, the predicted lineup would be Patrick Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., and Ivica Zubac.
Denver Nuggets injury updates and lineup predictions
It was Denver’s momentum that we all were banking on to witness in the previous game. However, the Clippers made sure of making their offense struggle every single second of the game. After the third quarter, the Nuggets’ fate was determined and there was absolutely no coming back.
The Clippers are able to score so easily that the Nuggets’ defense needs to tighten up and it’s Nikola Jokic who has to get this done. They also need to pump up their key player, Jamal Murray to contribute more shots. Both Jokic and Murray stood at a combined 27 points, which is certainly not going to work. Even limiting their game-time will only make the situation worse for them. If only they could work more on their defense, could they maybe lessen the damage to a major degree.
With no injuries reported, the predicted lineup would be Monte Morris, Jamal Murray, Jerami Grant, Paul Millsap, and Nikola Jokic.
Game predictions
Until the Nuggets figure out a way to tackle Leonard, the Clippers will stay superior throughout. This does not seem like a very fair matchup as the Clippers are expected to smoothly advance through this round. All the Nuggets can really do is give a better fight but there is no chance they have the tools to cause an upset.
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