It all boils down to a Game 7 for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets, as they square off for the last time in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. Will the Clippers pull off a series comeback by stunning Denver in Game 7? Or, will the Nuggets finally shake off the pesky Clippers and move on to the next phase?
Catch this game live on Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 7:30 AM, Manila time
Away: Los Angeles Clippers (3-3)
Projected Starting Five:
- James Harden
- Kris Dunn
- Norman Powell
- Kawhi Leonard
- Ivica Zubac
The Clippers refused to die in front of their home crowd on Friday, forcing the series to go to a Game 7 with a gutsy 111-105 victory over Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard joined forces to lead Los Angeles, scoring 28 and 27 points, respectively. But that is always a constant for the Clippers, so getting production from the other guys can spell the difference between elimination and advancing to the next round for LA this Sunday.
Norman Powell and Nic Batum answered that call in Game 6. Powell scored 24 points while Batum only had six points, but provided plenty of value defensively. Jokic even sees Batum starting over Kris Dunn in Game 7, for what it’s worth. With a healthy roster led by an elite two-way weapon in Leonard, the Clippers have everything they need to conquer Denver in enemy territory, just like they did in their 105-102 Game 2 victory in Mile High City.
Home: Denver Nuggets (3-3)
Projected Starting Five:
- Jamal Murray
- Christian Braun
- Michael Porter Jr.
- Aaron Gordon
- Nikola Jokic
Playing at home in a winner-take-all scenario is a big advantage already for the Nuggets this Sunday. Of course, having a three-time (and potentially four-time) NBA MVP on their side is also a glaring positive for Denver, which is unsurprisingly playing much better offense when they’re at home this postseason.
While they averaged just 96.3 points in three games in Inglewood, the Nuggets have put up 115.0 points at home in the series. Moreover, they are making 43.5 percent of their 3-point shots at home compared to just 34.1 percent at Intuit Dome. A home game is also welcome news for Michael Porter Jr., who scored just five points in Game 6 but had 14 on 5-for-10 shooting with three 3-pointers in Colorado in Game 5. At the end of the day, the Nuggets will go as far as the pair of Jokic and Jamal Murray takes them.
Picks
Spread: Los Angeles Clippers (+1.5)
Over/Under: Under (206.0)
