Frankly speaking, in this series, the Nuggets' ability to reach the decisive Game 5 is thanks to Nikola Jokic's almost exaggerated foundational performance. In the first four games of the series, Jokic averaged 28.5 points, 10.8 assists, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. Even more astonishing is that he still had an outstanding three - point shooting percentage of 47.6% from the outside. Everyone knows how intensely the Clippers double - teamed Jokic. However, under such a fierce defensive siege, Jokic's average scoring in the first four games was only 1.1 points less than his regular - season average, and his rebounds, assists, and steals were even better than in the regular season.
Specifically in Game 4 of the series, if it weren't for Jokic's near triple - double of 36 points, 21 rebounds, and 8 assists to hold the team up, the Nuggets would never have reached the moment of the last - second game - winner. On the surface, Aaron Gordon's last - second put - back dunk created more buzz, but the real hero behind this miraculous game - winner was the big, tired Jokic.
Everyone is aware that if the Nuggets rely on Jokic to over - exert himself like this, they will only move further away from victory. Therefore, when the series returned to the Denver altitude and reached the crucial Game 5, it was time for someone to step up and relieve Jokic of some pressure...
The Nuggets made timely adjustments. After the start of Game 5, as if it was an intentional arrangement by the coaching staff, the Nuggets quickly shifted the offensive focus away from Jokic. Gordon somewhat unusually started a ball - handling offensive mode and scored 4 consecutive points with tough foul - drawing free throws and crisp step - back jumpers. Then it was Jamal Murray's turn to shine.
As the second - leading scorer of the Nuggets, Murray could only manage an average of 20 points in the first four games. In the fiercely contested Game 4, as one of the main attackers, he only scored 13 points, which was clearly an under - par performance. In the Nuggets' championship season, Murray averaged 26.1 points in the playoffs, but in the following season's playoffs, his average points dropped to the early 20s, and his decline in performance was one of the key factors in the Nuggets' early exit...
In this series against the Clippers, if the Nuggets want a different outcome and don't want to repeat last year's playoff tragedy, Murray must wake up. At least on this night, Murray's awakening gave the Nuggets' supporters hope. From the early part of the first quarter, he opened his scoring account with a powerful driving dunk. Subsequently, Murray became the leading player in the Jokic - Murray offensive duo. He attacked the Clippers' defense in various ways, and whether it was driving lay - ups or three - pointers from the outside, his shooting accuracy was incredibly high.
Murray and Gordon's early contributions gave Jokic a much - needed break. So, it wasn't until half a quarter had passed that Jokic scored his first points with a hook shot. But this time, he probably wouldn't feel any panic.
Jokic's helpers weren't just in the starting lineup. When both teams started to make substitutions and it was time to compare the bench players, the Nuggets had a pleasant surprise. After taking a short break due to an ankle injury, Russell Westbrook made a comeback in this game. However, many people were worried about Westbrook's return, as he is a double - edged sword. No one knew which side of his 'dual - state' performance he would show in this game. But after coming on in the late first quarter, Westbrook quickly dispelled people's doubts with a driving 2 1 and a 'zombie jump shot'.
In the second quarter, the Clippers habitually left Westbrook open. But soon, Westbrook made the Clippers pay for their mistake with his deadly attacks. During this period, his 'zombie jump shots' continued to find the net, and he drove to the paint again and scored a 2 1 after a strong physical confrontation. Even more surprisingly, he made both of his three - point attempts from the outside. In just half a quarter of play, Westbrook had already scored 15 points efficiently. This kind of performance didn't seem like that of a player in the twilight of his career, but rather resembled his peak form when he won the MVP...
The continuous efforts of his teammates gave Jokic a lot of time to conserve energy on both offense and defense and helped the Nuggets build a significant advantage on the court. Moreover, after Jokic's teammates took turns to have big games, the Clippers hesitated when choosing the timing to double - team him, and there were more and more defensive lulls.
There were also more worrying signs. After coming back to the high - altitude environment in Denver, the energy level of the entire Clippers team seemed to have decreased. The condition of their two core players, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, was particularly concerning. In the first half of the game, after Gordon and Murray had their breakout games, Leonard was pushed to the forefront of the defense. In the defensive battles, he was involved in more physical and foot - speed contests, and his physical energy reached a bottleneck early. Before the first half was over, there were already shots of Leonard gasping for breath while holding his knee.
Harden's situation was even worse. After three quarters, he had not even reached double - digit points, and he had lost most of his inspiration in organizing the offense. His three - point shooting was cold, and even his usually reliable free - throws missed several times. Throughout the game, the Clippers' offense was in a semi - paralyzed state. Leonard was even forced to take on more of the play - making responsibility (he had double - digit assists in the game) due to Harden's ineffective passing...
There have been too many precedents in Harden's career of his sudden and strange offensive droughts in the playoffs. In this crucial Game 5, Harden's every move seemed to send out those familiar signals of frustration. Although in the past season, Harden had carried the team on his back on most nights and his overall performance had far exceeded expectations, in this specific game, Harden should bear the main responsibility for the Clippers' loss in Game 5. His sudden and strange disappearance could even have a very negative impact on the Clippers' season as a whole...