There will be a seventh game between the Nuggets and Clippers: here are the keys

Los Angeles Clippers refused to say goodbye to the playoffs this Thursday by defeating the Denver Nuggets 111-105 at the Intuit Dome, thus forcing a seventh and deciding game to be played on Saturday in Denver. The victory was not a result of chance: Tyronn Lue, the coach of the Los Angeles team, made sure his players entered the match with full confidence by personally calling each of them the night before.

"I had many calls," confessed Lue. "I just wanted to be positive, make sure they understood that we hadn't played well in the fifth game, and that attention to detail had been lacking."

The message had an effect. James Harden, after a discreet performance in the fifth game, emerged with 28 points and a 50% shooting accuracy. Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Norman Powell had his best game of the series with 24 points coming off the bench.

The tactical turning point came at halftime. Lue decided to replace defensive player Kris Dunn with veteran Nicolas Batum, seeking greater offensive fluidity and better space utilization. Batum responded excellently: the Clippers scored 6 out of 6 after his assists in the second half, and his versatility allowed him to defend both Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic on at least 15 half-court possessions each.

"When we went with a small lineup and shooting, we were able to open up the game a bit," explained Lue. "That gave James and Kawhi more space to attack."

The gamble also meant that both Dunn and Ben Simmons did not see action in the second half. Lue praised them for their professionalism and for putting the team ahead of individual goals. "I wanted to thank them because they have been important all year. They understood the situation perfectly."

Batum's versatility was even recognized by Jokic: "He is a better shooter than Dunn and also a great defender. He can guard positions 1 through 5. They don't lose anything on defense with him, and we might see him as a starter in the next game."

Meanwhile, Harden took advantage of the tactical change and additional space to dominate the game. He was involved in 58 plays that produced 60 points for the Clippers, well above the 35 he participated in during the fifth game. He played for 47 minutes.

"I'm tired," he said, yawning after the game. "But I would do it again if needed on Saturday. Whatever the team needs."

This victory was Harden's first in an elimination game since the seventh game against Oklahoma City in the first round of 2020. As for Lue, he continues to build his reputation as a strategist under pressure: he is the second coach with the best winning percentage in elimination games among those with at least 15 such games, just behind Rudy Tomjanovich.

For the Nuggets, this will be their sixth seventh game since 2019, more than any other team in that period.

"If you really like basketball," said Jokic, "these are the games you have to watch."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Habrá séptimo entre Nuggets y Clippers: aquí las claves