Inglewood, CA (News4usOnline) – Game 4 delivered on the promise of this being one of the best first-round series of the postseason. There was a massive fourth quarter comeback, countless runs, a buzzer beating dunk, and it got very chippy.
The Nuggets miraculously escaped with a win, despite being outscored by the Clippers by 18 points in the fourth quarter, and now the series heads back to Denver tied at two games apiece.
The game was very physical, and a scuffle broke out at the end of the first half, resulting in three players from each team receiving technical fouls. Aaron Gordon and James Harden were lucky to remain in the game after appearing to throw open-fist punches in each other’s direction. In a regular-season game, they would have surely been ejected, but this is playoff basketball.
Gordon ultimately got the last laugh, sealing the 101-99 win for the Nuggets by jamming a Nikola Jokic miss through the rim as time expired.
Jokic, the most dominant basketball player in the world, scored 36 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, and dished out eight assists, asserting his dominance on the series.
“I thought they were aggressive, like they are supposed to be, down 2-1, and we didn’t really meet that intensity until the fourth quarter. That is just a lesson for us to stay the course, do what we are supposed to do, and continue to execute,” said Tyronn Lue. “2-2, they are a great team that won a championship a couple of years ago, so they are not going to give in. We have to beat them.”
Denver came to play defensively, trapping Harden and forcing the ball into the hands of other players. Harden and Kawhi Leonard each turned the ball over twice in the first quarter, and Kris Dunn, the recipient of Harden’s passes, started the game 0-4 from the field.
“You have to give them credit. They played a great game. They came out with a lot of energy, and Jokic led them all night, just him being an MVP player, getting to his spots, and making shots,” said Leonard.
Harden made the right plays, but almost to a fault early on. After a couple of no-calls on drives to the basket, he was not aggressively looking for his shot. One three-point attempt through three quarters is unacceptable, especially on a night when Dunn and Nicolas Batum were 1-12 from three. The step-back was non-existent until Harden finally got to the foul line for only the second time in the game with 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
“We can’t allow their defensive pressure to take us out of what we are doing, and we can’t allow the pressure to wear James out. There are some things that we need to do differently so that we can save him for a game where he is not getting as worn down,” said Lue.
If Harden is feeling some fatigue, then Denver is definitely feeling it as well as this series progresses.
Some Clippers fans might be disappointed that Russell Westbrook did not suit up for Denver (they are now 8-0 without him this season), but his minutes are highly valuable on a team that lacks reliable depth behind him.
The Nuggets are essentially playing a five-man rotation without Westbrook in the lineup. All five starters played at least 42 minutes. Jamal Murray was subbed out at one point in the first quarter and returned to the game a minute later. Denver is opting to give its players short breathers, and the longer this series goes, the better off the Clippers are.
Just when it looked like the Nuggets had figured the Clippers out and built a 22-point lead, the fatigue started to show. LA put on an absolute master class in the fourth quarter, reeling in a tired Denver team and even taking a one-point lead with a minute left in the game.
The Clippers went into a zone for the first time in the series, further wearing down Jokic with extreme pressure, something they might want to revisit.
It will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments are made by both teams in Game 5. Any sort of edge is crucial in this series, as three of the four games have come down to the last shot, further signifying the importance of every possession.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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