The Nuggets failed to close out their first-round playoff series with the Clippers in LA on Thursday night, and fans can now prepare for the two greatest words in sports: Game 7. Game 6 was yet another tight battle, but the Clippers came out of the half with a big run and held on to win, 111-105.
Denver fought hard and made this a game in the final minutes, but they couldn’t get over the hump and they’ll have to close things out at home on Saturday night in a do-or-die showdown. Having homecourt advantage certainly helps, but with less than 48 hours between games, the Nuggets are going to be awfully tired.
David Adelman has ridden his starters in this series, and they’ve mostly played well, but they’re logging crazy minutes. Even Michael Porter Jr., playing with one arm after his shoulder injury in Game 2, has given the Nuggets everything he has, and they’ve needed it.
But in Game 4, MPJ’s play seemed to hit a wall. He played just 24 minutes with just 5 points and 3 rebounds. He was a (by far) team-worst -24 and became unplayable. Adelman had no choice but to bench him late in the game and close with Russell Westbrook, the only bench player to log more than ten minutes, featuring for 34.
Westbrook’s play is a roller coaster ride
Of course, Westbrook is a great player who has had a Hall of Fame career, but he isn’t exactly known for his playoff heroics in recent years. On Thursday night, Russ had a solid night with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists on good efficiency.
Yet still, his night will be defined by two massive missed breakaway layups down the stretch that crushed the Nuggets’ comeback bid. He closed Game 1 as well and took fans for a roller-coaster ride as he waffled back and forth between incredibly clutch plays and mind-numbingly stupid mistakes.
For better or worse, this is the Westbrook experience in the playoffs. He’s going to bring a ton of energy, he’s going to play confidently and aggressively, teams are going to force him to be involved, and he is going to oblige happily. Whether his impact is good or bad, it will be extremely loud.
Nuggets have no choice but to ride or die with Westbrook
It’s nice to have a guy like Russ off the bench to provide energy in bursts. You can ride him when he’s hot and pull the plug on nights when he doesn’t have it. The problem is, the Nuggets no longer have that luxury. Porter Jr. looked dreadful tonight, and with barely a day's rest, it’s hard to expect he’ll be much better in Game 7.
Beyond that, Denver doesn’t have another option. They have six players that Adelman is riding with, and one of them looks badly injured. The Nuggets are going to have to decide whether to trust a banged-up, struggling MPJ or a wild-card Westbrook with the season on the line.
It’s a horrifying situation, but that’s the reality for Nuggets fans. Almost any outcome is in play, but it seems likely that the team’s fortune will come down to one of the most polarizing players in NBA history. No matter how it goes down, Nuggets fans will be holding their breath until the final buzzer.