By Daniel Paiz

Close out games in the playoffs are usually the hardest to win. The team down in the series is playing for their season, and (usually) their home crowd is an extra factor to cheer them to victory. Denver’s lack of movement stagnates the Nuggets, 111-105 loss forces Game 7. This Game 6 had numbers that support why LA won and why Denver lost, but there was a feel to it that never really shifted.

Nikola Jokic notched a decent 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while Jamal Murray added 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. Aaron Gordon chipped in 19 points while Russell Westbrook had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. This one felt disjointed.

Game 6 Recap

First Quarter

There’s trepidation from Denver, but they are still scoring. The defensive effort has to prevent LA from getting so deep into the paint this early, their first 10 points have been close range shots. Denver is shooting at a higher percentage right now, and the Clippers have missed their first six three-point attempts and is 1-of-10 from downtown. Murray is getting to his spots and has 12 points, Gordon has 8; 28-25 Denver after one.

Second Quarter

Denver’s shooting has gone cold, and the turnovers have turned into points for LA. Midway through the second, Jokic has nine of Denver’s 11 second quarter points. There’s no cutting, the ball movement is minimal, and the reliance on #15 is way too high. Braun isn’t getting active on the boards and Porter Jr. seems out of it in part to the shoulder issue. Denver is shooting 61 percent while LA is just hitting 50 percent at the half; however, made free throws and Harden’s 21 points are why LA leads 58-57. Jokic has 20 of his own first half points to keep the Nuggets hanging around.

Third Quarter

The balance is teetering between these two teams despite LA’s continued scoring for the first half of the third. The play is physical, the decisions calculated, almost too much so. Denver needs to up the effort due to shots being off and continued turnovers. It’s a perfect storm of misfortune for the Nuggets as they’re playing one-on-one offense and not getting nearly enough defensive stops. A few threes at the end of the quarter cuts it to 90-79 LA after three.

Fourth Quarter

Denver keeps playing a bit too singularly on offense, and their defense is so-so as the fourth ticks down. The Nuggets keep taking difficult shots, and while they’re falling, they’re taking a lot of effort. The shots fell Denver’s way a bit more in the fourth, but the defense and the rebounding weren’t focused enough. Nuggets fall short 111-105 in LA, Game 7 is back in Denver on Saturday.

Keys to Game 7

• Dictate the pace and energy of the game

Denver was very reactionary in Game 6 across the board, and after the first quarter it did not feel like they were following gameplans that had worked in previous games. One can point to LA being a decent defensive team, but it really wasn’t so much about LA. Denver dribbled the ball down and would play iso-ball.

Dribbling the ball into a crowded paint area between the hoop and the free throw line helps the defense. It then also forces the open man to hit threes, creating a reliance on three pointers to get back into the game. This is way too limiting when the team you’re playing is passing and attacking the paint, and because of tiring offensive sequences there’s little defensive resistance. There are nights when a team is going to hit shots, but when you don’t make them work hard on defense, they can nitpick your defense.

• Players must play their roles

This might sound extremely, overtly, and unbelievably simple. That’s the goal. New sequences for defensive plays, new offensive schemes, those aren’t going to work all that much. Game 7 is all about effort in the end.

It’s about Nikola Jokic playing his multi-level game. It’s about Michael Porter Jr and Christian Braun cutting and hitting threes and making plays. It’s about Aaron Gordon dominating the paint and causing mismatches LA can’t handle. Jamal Murray getting to his spots and converting, and Russell Westbrook bringing his energy and assessing things a little bit more before rocketing at the rim.

Execute your strengths. Limit their playmakers. Do these things and Game 7 is yours, Denver Nuggets.

Bonus Content

Mile High Recap with Plumas Poetic episode 6 is right below!