On April 30, Beijing time, the first - round games of the 2024 - 25 NBA playoffs continued. The Los Angeles Clippers traveled to play against the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the series, commonly known as the "decisive game". After the whole game, the Nuggets defeated the Clippers 131 - 115, changing the series score to 3 - 2 and successfully gaining a match point.
Full - game data: The specific scores of each quarter were 23 - 35, 36 - 32, 24 - 32, 32 - 32 (Clippers' scores are listed first). For the Clippers, James Harden had a strange slump, scoring only 11 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists, and making 2 steals. In addition, Ivica Zubac had 27 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks; Kawhi Leonard had 20 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 blocks; Bogdan Bogdanovic had 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists; Chris Dunn had 15 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals; Norman Powell had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists; and Derrick Jones had 7 points and 1 rebound.
For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic had 13 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 blocks, and Jamal Murray suddenly exploded, scoring 43 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing out 7 assists, and making 3 steals. Additionally, Aaron Gordon had 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists; Russell Westbrook had 21 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist; Michael Porter Jr. had 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist; and Christian Braun had 11 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Game review: At the beginning of the first quarter, Gordon became the offensive vanguard. He made 2 free throws after a foul and hit a step - back jump shot, giving the Nuggets a 4 - 0 lead. Then, Murray's form suddenly soared. He drove inside and shot outside, quickly reaching double - digit points and leading the home team to build a 10 - point advantage in the middle of the quarter. For the Clippers, both Leonard and Harden were in a dull state. In the latter part of this quarter, they barely kept the point difference within single - digits thanks to Bogdanovic's free throws and Powell's lay - up. When the bench players came on, Westbrook returned from injury, immediately made a 2 1 and hit a zombie jump shot. In the final seconds, Jokic assisted Watson for a dunk. After the first quarter, the Nuggets led 35 - 23 temporarily.
In the second quarter, Westbrook's shooting touch became even hotter. He made two three - pointers from the outside and made another 2 1 with a driving lay - up. Before half of this quarter had passed, Westbrook had already scored 15 points. Murray came back on the court and still maintained his good form. Braun also made a step - back jump shot, and the Nuggets continued to maintain a 10 - point advantage. For the Clippers, defensive ace Dunn suddenly became an offensive surprise. His consecutive three - pointers stopped the bleeding for the visiting team. In the latter part of this quarter, both teams had a short period of offensive confrontation. For the Clippers, Powell, Leonard, and Dunn scored continuously. For the Nuggets, Jokic and Murray made three - pointers one after another. At halftime, the Clippers trailed 59 - 67.
After the intermission, Murray made a step - back jump shot and he and Porter Jr. made two three - pointers successively. The Nuggets set off a new wave of offense, and the point difference was widened to over 15 points. Leonard made a lay - up, barely reaching double - digit points. Harden made 2 free throws after a foul, but then he disappeared for a long time. In the latter part of the third quarter, the Nuggets' attack showed no sign of stopping. Murray made another three - pointer and had reached 30 points. Westbrook and Braun also continued to make three - pointers, hitting the Clippers' defensive confidence. After the third quarter, the Nuggets led 99 - 83.
In the fourth quarter, Porter Jr. made a three - pointer and a 2 1 on a lob lay - up. Murray made a pull - up three - pointer, and the point difference had been widened to 20 points. Then, the Clippers' offense improved slightly. Leonard made a three - pointer and Zubac made a hook shot, narrowing the score slightly. But then, no miracle happened, and the Nuggets' stable offense and defense secured the victory. Finally, after the whole game, the Nuggets defeated the Clippers 131 - 115, changing the series score to 3 - 2 and successfully gaining a match point.
Starting line - ups: Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, Chris Dunn, Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, James Harden. Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, Jamal Murray.