Why the Denver Nuggets have Shocked Everyone Again

After a ridiculous first round series, where the Nuggets came back from down 3-1 to defeat the Utah Jazz, they have now forced a game 7 against the heavily favored Clippers. The Nuggets seemed down and out of both series, and have beaten all the odds to simply extend both series to 7 games. Regardless of how game 7 goes in this series, let’s take a deeper dive into a very impressive playoff run.

After being completely exposed by the Jazz, Denver was able to defend much better in games 5-7 in the first round. This was due to a better strategy for pick and roll defense, stopping Mitchell from attacking freely but pushing Jokic higher up off the screen. In the Clippers series, the Nuggets have improved their effort on that end, and have been able to lock up in 2nd halfs to get wins.

Throughout these playoffs, we have seen the very best of Nikola Jokic. He has shot the ball well from everywhere, and is the engine of this offense. He makes great passes, takes smart shots, and gets everybody involved in the action. With him firing on all cylinders, Denver is a threat to be any given team on any given night.

Despite their chances of advancing looking bleak in both the first and second rounds, Denver now seems like a real championship threat. Their star center has been incredible, their guards have stepped up, and Porter Jr. looks like a star in the making. If they continue to defend, anything can happen in game 7 and beyond. One thing we know about this team is no lead is safe.