The Denver Nuggets Just Sent The NBA A Reminder…

The Denver Nuggets Just Sent The NBA A Reminder…

the hottest team in the league, 18 wins in 21 games, a former MVP and a former twotime finals MVP. One of the deepest, most dangerous rosters in the NBA. And when it mattered most, the Los Angeles Clippers got run off the floor. The Denver Nuggets didn’t just win game seven, they sent a message, a 120 to 101 humiliation. They led by as many as 35 points, blew the game wide open with a 17 to0 third quarter run, and never looked back. Nicole Yic barely had to play the fourth quarter. And for a team that had spent all year haunted by last season’s collapse, this was the performance of a group that’s done being polite. The Nuggets are healthy, hungry, and rolling. And the scariest part, they’re just getting started. So now, one question hangs over the entire Western Conference. Does the NBA playoffs have a Denver Nuggets problem? To understand how we got here, first we’ve got to rewind. This wasn’t just another first round series. It was a showdown between two teams with wildly different stories, but the same goal. Prove they’re still championship material. The Los Angeles Clippers came into the playoffs as the hottest team in basketball. 18 wins in their last 21 games. Top five offense, top tier experience, and a finally healthy core. James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Avita Zubats, and Norman Pal playing the best basketball of their careers. And backing them, a billionaire owner flying out 100 fans to Denver just to stack the noise. This was supposed to be the Clippers statement year. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets, they came in quiet. No headlines, no real buzz, just a team that had slipped to the number four seed, fired their championship coach, Michael Malone, three games before the season ended, and was still licking its wounds from last year’s second round collapse to Minnesota. A game seven meltdown where they blew a 20point lead and got sent home stunned. This year started with questions. Was Jokic still enough to lead a title team? And had the rest of the league finally caught up? Those questions only got louder after game four of the series when Denver blew another massive lead. Up 22 points in the fourth, they coughed it all up only to be saved by a moment that felt ripped out of a movie. Aaron Gordon at the buzzer throws down the first game-winning dunk in NBA playoff history. That could have been the unraveling. Instead, it became the spark. Denver came into game seven not scared of repeating history. They came in ready to erase it. And from the moment the second quarter started, they grabbed the game by the throat. This wasn’t revenge. This was revenge, therapy, and domination all in one. And by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Joic was sitting, smiling, watching the fireworks from the bench. Game seven, everything on the line. No room for nerves, no more excuses. And for the first 12 minutes, the Clippers looked ready. LA came out aggressive. Took the lead 26 to 21 after the first quarter. The stars looked focused. The game plan looked sharp. Zubats was getting early touches. Kawhai hit a few mid-range jumpers. And Harden looked like he might settle in. But then the wheels didn’t just come off, they exploded. From the start of the second quarter through to the end of the third, Denver outscored LA 72 to 40. That’s not just a run, that’s a basketball dissection. And it wasn’t because someone dropped 40 or Jokic took over. It was death by ball movement, death by execution, death by depth. The Nuggets tied the game, took the lead, and then blew it open with a 17 to0 run in the third quarter. Right after Kawhi Leonard had briefly cut the lead to eight with a three-pointer. And what happened next told you everything you needed to know about Denver. Nicole Joic, the three-time MVP, picked up his third, fourth, and fifth fouls in a 48-second stretch late in the third. He went to the bench and the Nuggets kept rolling. No panic, no stall, just more slicing, more cutting, more dominance. Jookic finished the game with a modest statline. 16 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and he hardly needed to play in the fourth quarter. He didn’t need to because the rest of the team stepped up big. Aaron Gordon was the tone setter, dropping 22 points, alleyoops, hitting jumpers, punishing mismatches, and giving Kawhai all kinds of problem defensively. He wasn’t just efficient. He was loud, physical, confident. Christian Brown had a strong performance. The 24year-old spark plug giving the Clippers problems on both ends, scoring 21 points, and constantly making momentum plays. He was attacking, hitting threes, finishing through contact, reading the defense like a vet. And when you combine that with the steady scoring from Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook, both dropping 16 points, and Michael Porter Jr. contributing a smooth 15. It was a wave LA just couldn’t ride out. The Clippers look stunned. James Harden scored just seven points on two of eight shooting. A virtual no show in a legacy game. Zubats, who’d had a breakout series, was muted, just 10 points, never able to impose his size. And Kawhai, despite his 22 points, looked like he was grinding for every bucket. Denver’s defense rotated, switched, helped, and LA spacing collapsed. The knockout moment. It wasn’t a dagger three or a monster block. It was a steal and breakaway dunk from Russell Westbrook who cocked it back, slammed home, and then hung on the rim, swinging like a man who knew what this moment meant. He took the tech didn’t care because that dunk pushed the lead to 31 points. And the crowd went nuclear. Denver’s bench emptied shortly after, but not before Clippers owner Steve Balmer’s traveling fan section flown in specifically to bring the wall energy from LA got real quiet real fast. Even after a late 70 garbage time run from the Clippers, the final score 120 to 101 became the largest game seven win in Nuggets franchise history. Game 7 was a demolition, but it didn’t come out of nowhere. This series was building to that moment. The Nuggets weren’t just better in one game. They were better over seven games. Smarter, tougher, more connected. And once again, it started with Nola Joic. He didn’t need 40 point nights. He just did what Joic always does. Control the game like a conductor. For the series, he averaged a triple double. 24 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists per game. His pacing, his timing, the way he reads a defense like a chessboard. It’s not flashy, but it’s relentless. Then came Jamal Murray. People forget how cold he gets in the playoffs, but this series was a reminder. Murray averaged 23 points, six assists, and five rebounds over the seven games, including a 43point explosion in game three that completely flipped momentum. When Denver needed a closer, he was a closer. And then there’s Aaron Gordon. We talk about glue guys all the time, but Gordon’s glue comes with power tools. He averaged just under 19 points per game, took on the toughest defensive assignment every night, and made the winning play in game four, the first buzzer beating dunk in NBA playoff history. That moment wasn’t just iconic, it was defining. Even Russell Westbrook, brought in to fill a bench role, found himself in a revenge arc, chipping in over the series, averaging almost 13 points and bringing energy and grit off the bench. And Michael Porter Jr. quietly reliable even while playing in obvious pain with a left shoulder injury. who suffered earlier in the series. That’s what separates the Nuggets team from others in the West. It’s not just Jokic. It’s not just Murray. It’s the balance, the composure, the ability to make teams miserable from every spot on the floor. Game seven was the exclamation point. But the series, that was proof of concept. The reward for blowing out the Clippers in game seven, a second round date with the number one seed in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Young, explosive, deep, rested. OKC didn’t just beat Memphis, they swept them. And they haven’t played a game in over a week. They come into this matchup fresh, healthy, and hungry. Led by a legitimate MVP candidate in Shay Gilgis Alexander, SGA averaged over 32 points per game this season. But it’s how he does it that makes him dangerous. Methodical, efficient, and always in control. Around him, Jaylen Williams, the perfect secondary creator. Cadet Homegrren, a seven-footer who protects the rim, spaces the floor, and doesn’t need touches to impact the game. Then there’s Lou Dort, one of the best defenders in the league. And OKC’s bench, long, athletic, interchangeable. They come in waves. But here’s where it gets interesting. These two teams split the season series two each. Each team won once on the road. So what we have here is more than just a second round matchup. It’s a philosophy wall. On one side, the Thunder built around pace, length, and talent. A team that hasn’t just rebuilt, they’ve accelerated. On the other side, Denver built on patience, precision, and playoff scars. A team that knows what it takes because they’ve already been through it. OKC has the edge in speed, but Denver has the edge in control. Joic is the ultimate slowdown, a one-man tempo break who forces you to guard 24 seconds of options, not just isolation. Murray has seen every defensive scheme. Gordon gives you positional strength. And if this series turns into a fourth quarter grind, bet on the team that’s already won the whole thing before. OKC is real. They’re not just a good story. This second round series isn’t just about talent. It’s about decisions, about who controls the game. And that’s where Denver becomes terrifying. No team in the NBA is better at turning pace into pressure. Not by running fast, but by forcing you to play at their speed. Nicole Joic doesn’t sprint, he sets traps. His twoman game with Murray is like a quarterback and offensive coordinator in sync. And this is where the Thunder’s new look becomes fascinating. OKC has the double big lineup, pairing Cadet Hongrren and Isaiah Hartenstein to throw more size and rim protection at Jokic. On paper, it makes sense. Cet gives you length and mobility. Hartenstein gives you strength and verticality. But here’s the problem. Jookic lives off reads. Two bigs might help protect the rim, but they also clog rotations, slow down switches, and give more mismatches to exploit. It’s one thing to defend postups. It’s another to defend a center who uses your own help defense as a weapon. Every cut, every slip screen, every fake, Joic is pulling the strings. The question isn’t can stop Joic. It’s can they stay disciplined enough to not overreact to him. On the perimeter, Jamal Murray vers Shay Gilis Alexander is a battle of control verse counters. SGA thrives on rhythm. He’ll lull you to sleep, hit that mid-range, or blow by you if you gamble. But Murray, he’s built for chaos. He can play wild or calculated. And when the game slows down, his footwork, pace, and late clock shotmaking are elite. Then there’s Aaron Gordon. He’s no longer just a dunker. His Denver’s defensive lynch pin. Gordon’s size, mobility, and instincts let him guard wings and bigs. He’ll likely see time on SGA, Jaylen Williams, even Homegrren in switches. He’s the guy who makes life uncomfortable, not with blocks, but with frustration. Russell Westbrook, the revenge arc is there, but more importantly, he’s a high energy second unit weapon who fits Denver’s structure. This isn’t the same Denver team from last year. It’s sharper, deeper, and smarter. And they know exactly how to test teams like OKC. Let’s see if the Thunder have the answers. The Nuggets didn’t just win game seven. They sent a message. And now they’ve got a chance to prove it against the number one seed in the West. OKC is young, fast, and fearless. But Denver, Denver’s been through the fire, and they’re back to burn everything in their way. So, what do you think? Is this the beginning of another Nuggets title run, or will the Thunder flip the script? Drop your predictions in the comments.

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The Denver Nuggets have officially advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals, and it’s time to ask the question: does the NBA have a Denver Nuggets problem in the 2025 playoffs? In this video, we break down how Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets just eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers and why they’re looking more dangerous than ever.

Jokic continues to dominate with triple-double averages, surgical scoring, and elite playmaking, while key contributors like Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. are stepping up in big moments. After surviving a tough battle with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the Clippers, the Nuggets have once again proven they can adapt, outlast, and outplay any team in the West.

We’ll break down the biggest moments of the series, Jokic’s insane stat lines, and how Denver’s experience, and chemistry give them a real edge heading into the next round.

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