James Harden, Clippers Beat Nikola Jokic, Nuggets as NBA Fans Look Forward to Game 7
The Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets are going the distance.
The Clippers, who trailed 3-2 heading into Game 6, forced a Game 7 with a 111-105 win on Thursday.
Los Angeles leaned on its veterans in the win, and they delivered a pair of vintage performances. James Harden, who struggled in Game 5 with just 11 points, put up 28 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Kawhi Leonard was equally as important with 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
While the story of the night was Harden and Leonard, Nicolas Batum put up big minutes off the bench. He had just six points but added six assists, five rebounds, two steals and three clutch blocks in the final minutes to help seal the win.
Norman Powell also continued what has been a fantastic season, posting 24 points in the win.
On the defensive side, the Clippers managed to limit the damage done by the star pairing of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. Jokić had 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, a relatively tame night by his standards. Murray, who posted 43 points in Game 5, appeared to be on his way to another big night with 12 first-quarter points, but he finished with just 21.
After Harden and Leonard guided Los Angeles to the win, fans praised the two veterans and looked ahead to a crucial Game 7.
The ceiling for the Clippers didn't seem that high heading into the season after Paul George's exit this offseason, but now Los Angeles is just a game away from moving on to the second round for the first time since 2021. The Clippers will look to Harden and Leonard again in Game 7 on Saturday.
