By Alex Fredrick
In Los Angeles, the Clippers held off the Denver Nuggets 111–105 to even their Western Conference series at 3–3 and force a decisive game seven in Denver on Saturday.
James Harden led the way with 28 points, while Kawhi Leonard contributed 27 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a gritty bounce-back win after Tuesday’s blowout loss in Denver.
“It was win or go home—and we didn’t want to go home,” Harden said. “We’ve still got work to do. Game seven is everything.”
Turning Point The Clippers seized control in the third quarter, outscoring Denver 32–22 and extending their lead to 15 points. Although the Nuggets closed the gap to five in the final minute, Los Angeles held firm to secure the win.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 25 points, while Jamal Murray chipped in 21 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Interim coach David Adelman pointed to the third quarter as the difference-maker.
“We got sped up and couldn’t recover the 50-50 balls,” said Adelman. “That stretch absolutely killed us.”
Game seven promises a high-stakes showdown with a place in the Western Conference semifinals on the line.
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
