Can Nuggets exercise game 7 demons?

The Denver Nuggets and their long-suffering fans are still feeling the lingering pain of last year’s game seven defeat. Can they get over the hump this time?

In game seven of last year’s first round series with the San Antonio Spurs, the Nuggets built a 17-point third quarter lead and looked to be well on their way to advancing into the second round. But as the San Antonio Spurs are known to do, they scratched and clawed their way all the way back into the game behind their Hall of Fame head coach and eventually made it a true nail biter.

The Nuggets just could not quite shake the pesky Spurs throughout the second half, and eventually it came down to executing against the best in the business in late-game execution. Bryn Forbes and the rest of the Spurs backcourt made clutch three after clutch three and made the Nuggets earn every inch before finally hearing the final buzzer sound.

Only one series later, the Nuggets had to do it again against the red hot Portland Trail Blazers. Similarly to their performance against the Spurs, Denver exploded out to a big lead and let the dynamic Portland guards force their way back into the game. The Nuggets missed 11 crucial free throws including one inside the final 15 seconds from Jokic in a four point defeat.

Having been down three games to one in this series and climbing all the way back to force a seventh game, the Nuggets have a chance to avenge their crushing loss to Portland and advance to the second round. Last year’s shortcomings could be explained away as a young team with a bright future that caught a scorching hot C.J. McCollum in a must win game. This time around, the Nuggets are playing a smoldering Donovan Mitchell in the bubble in Orlando.

Game seven will tip off on Tuesday at a to-be-determined time.