INGLEWOOD — Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman was waiting Thursday for another unexpected move by the Clippers. And why not?
In Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, Adelman encountered a zone defense when the Clippers had only played man-to-man defense, a situation that put the Nuggets on their heels in the fourth quarter before their buzzer-beating win.
In Game 5, the Clippers threw more adjustments and mismatches at the Nuggets, but they were unable to contain Jamal Murray, who scored a series-high 43 points in a 16-point victory.
“They were searching for something as we were having a really good night offensively,” Adelman said before Game 6. “So, I would expect to see that again, the cross-match. I’d expect to see some zone.
“My expectation is we’ll see everything and more (Thursday).”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue didn’t do anything radical in Game 6, such as playing his starters an entire half, but he did turn to reserve forward Nicolas Batum, who turned out to be the unsung hero for the Clippers.
Batum played a season-high 34 minutes, doing a bit of everything to help the Clippers beat the Nuggets, 111-105. He scored six points on two 3-pointers and had five rebounds and six assists, while adding space that allowed James Harden and Kawhi Leonard to get to the basket. Batum and Zubac teamed up for an effective effort against Jokic, who scored only five of his 25 points in the second half while shooting 2 for 9 from the field, with Batum blocking three of his shots and collecting two steals.
“I thought he responded well,” Lue said of Batum. “I thought KD (Kris Dunn) defensively to start and then try to get to that small lineup with all shooting on the floor, which helped us get the lead, gave James and Kawhi more spacing and was able to attack when we went small.”
It’s going to be an all-hands-on-deck situation in Saturday’s Game 7 in Denver. Lue is expected to throw everyone and anything at the Nuggets in a winner-take-all game for a spot in the Western Conference semifinals.
Lue said earlier in the week that coaches do “whatever it takes to win the playoffs.”
Yet, Batum brushed aside the fuss over his play. He said Lue told him to go in and “after that I have to do my job. That’s it.”
He said no one should be making a big deal over going from the bench to starting the second half or the minutes he logged. He checked into the game at the 5:20 mark of the first quarter and stayed on the floor for another 8:26 in the second quarter.
Batum played the entire third quarter and another eight minutes in the fourth.
“Seventeen years I’ve been there,” he said. “I’ve done that before; not the first time … so doing the same stuff for the last 17 years, it’s nothing new for me.”
Leonard, who has played with Batum for four-plus seasons, said the French national player did what he always does. No surprises.
“Just giving us some spacing out on the floor offensively, and as well defensively, just being active,” Leonard said. “Guarding Jokic, showing the second hand on them, being able to come over and get some good blocks on the weak side. You know, that’s what he did tonight.”
Harden said Batum was effective on both ends, getting after it defensively and offensively.
“A couple of huge blocked shots, chasing Murray around, switching one through five,” Harden said. “Offensively, shooting his shot, making some good passes. He did a little bit of everything tonight and it was a much-needed win for us.”
All of which Batum dismissed.
“That’s my job,” Batum said. “I know why I am playing – to space the floor, to shoot 3s and on defense, make plays. That’s my job. That’s why I am still playing in this league.
“That’s why I am taking the stick after 17 years and being able to play the playoff game. I just try to do everything. So, yeah, be impactful and be something good for the team.”
ADELMAN UPSET WITH OFFICIALS
Adelman was dismayed and angered by the amount of contact the officials allowed while the Clippers defended Jokic in Game 6, but he and his star center are confident the Nuggets will fight back with their season back on the brink.
Jokic shot only two free throws in Game 6, and the Nuggets went to the line only nine times compared to the Clippers’ 15 free throws while both teams appeared to be allowed to play physically.
“Nikola gets fouled a lot,” Adelman said. “I’m not sure what was happening tonight, but for him to shoot two free throws with the amount of contact that was going on out there was absolutely crazy. They put smalls on him. Those smalls were allowed to do whatever they want, so I’m really excited for Saturday that we’re going to be able to do the same thing with their best players, because if that’s the physicality we’re allowed to play with, we’ll react to it, and we will go there in Game 7.”
But even Adelman knew the officials didn’t decide another close game in a series between two teams that finished the regular season with the same record (50-32).
“This is what I expected, to be honest,” Adelman said. “This felt like a seven-game series. It’s an evenly matched series. There’s so many good players out there, guys that can have nights.”
Nobody had a night for the Nuggets in Game 6, and that’s why they’re headed to Game 7.
Closeout games have been mostly a nightmare for the Nuggets since winning the franchise’s only championship two seasons ago. They’ve lost four of their last five closeout opportunities, including two games in last year’s second-round series with Minnesota, when they blew a 20-point second-half lead and lost Game 7 on their home court.
“It’s going to be a different team,” said Murray, who had 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in Game 6. “It’s going to be a different type of series. We’ve just got to play our game. I don’t think there’s anything to overthink. We’ve just got to come out with the same kind of desperation, the same kind of intent. I’ve played in quite a few Game 7s, so it’s 3-3. Next team wins.”
The Nuggets are only hosting Game 7 because they won their final three games to hold on to the tiebreaker over the Clippers, who won eight consecutive games and 18 of 21 to close the regular season. Adelman only became Denver’s head coach for those final three games after the stunning firing of Michael Malone just 23 days ago, but the new coach already has a clear message for his team heading into the series finale.
“You win those last three games not just to stay out of the play-in, but to get the home court in Game 7, and we earned it,” Adelman said. “That’s what I told them. You’ve earned this opportunity. … You play all year for that. We got that opportunity, and we’re very excited to go back out there and play again.”
The Clippers won Game 2 at Ball Arena, 105-102, and have split their 10 previous games with the Nuggets this season.
“Game 7 is going to be tough,” Lue said. “But we’re ready for the challenge.”
CLIPPERS AT NUGGETS
What: Western Conference first-round series, Game 7
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Ball Arena, Denver
TV/radio: FDSN SoCal, TNT, truTV, 1150 AM
The Associated Press contributed to that story.
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