After the Clippers needed six games to see off the Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, I figured they would have shaken off the rust, and would take care of business until they (inevitably) met the Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
While the Nuggets had some piece in Nikola Jokic and an ascendant Jamal Murray, I figured Denver had to be exhausted after their epic, randomly thrilling first-round series against Utah.
The Clippers would take care of business. They have the better team, and one of the best few players alive in Kawhi Leonard. As long as Leonard didn’t forget how to play basketball, L.A. would dispatch Denver and pretty easily.
In Game 2, Kawhi Leonard forgot how to play basketball.
Well, he didn’t forget how to play basketball, but he had about as bad a night as you could expect to see from last year’s Finals MVP.
Leonard went 4-17 from the field on the night, including 0-3 from three, and four turnovers. It speaks to Leonard’s greatness that he still finished with a more than respectable 13-10-8 line on the night, but the Clippers demand more from him than a 24% shooting night and only seven free throws. His +/- on the night was a team-worst -16.
On the flip side, the Nuggets came out aggressively. Denver jumped out to a 14-2 lead in the opening minutes, with Jokic and Murray playing extremely aggressively and the Clippers looking like they were waking up from a late nap.
The first quarter ended 44-25 to Denver, and despite a couple late pushes from L.A., they never looked in danger of giving up that lead.
What’s encouraging for Denver:
They won a convincing Game 2 and evened up the series. Jamal Murray looked like the best player on the floor for the night, and Jokic got a ton of good looks in the post against a good Clippers defense.
This win tells Denver they belong, and if they can keep the intensity up, they can run the Clippers off the floor in stretches. And they showed, for one game at least, they can keep Kawhi in check. Not a lot of teams can say that.
What’s encouraging for Los Angeles:
Kawhi just played about as badly as he’s ever played, and he nearly finished with a triple double and the Clippers only lost by single digits. With 2:37 in the fourth, they pulled the game within seven. A couple different bounces in the last two minutes, and they could have won that game.
Even if Kawhi looked out of it, Paul George looked like himself again. After some early stumbles in the playoffs, George has settled in, and finished with 22 points and 8 rebounds on the night. His lack of free throws (only five on the night) and Kawhi’s lack of free throws in discouraging, but it provides an easy narrative for the Clippers coaching staff — get aggressive, and we win.
What’s encouraging for basketball fans:
This series isn’t going to be a cake walk for the Clippers. We get more basketball. This is going to be fun.
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