Sports are as much about mental fortitude as they are physical ability. That is why the Nuggets are such a strange team.
Nikola Jokic, a 7’ Serbian C whose pudgy pictures litter the internet. Jamal Murray, a Canadian PG whose awkward scoring ability matches his awkward hairline. Paul Millsap, an overpaid veteran who can’t decide if he’s a small or power forward. And Michael Porter Jr., a rookie who thinks it’s okay to obnoxiously chew food at the post-game interview podium and complain about how he needs the ball more.
Who would have thought a team of such unorthodox pairings could take down the mighty juggernaut touted as the favorite to win the ‘ship, the Clippers?
Perhaps no one, besides the Nuggets.
Give Credit Where Credit is Due
I don’t want to make it seem like I’m making fun of the Nuggets. I love this team. Aside from my hometown Cavaliers, they might be my favorite. They represent everything a good organization should, understated ownership, sound management that drafts the right talent year-in-year-out, an outstanding coach in Mike Malone, and a supremely talented roster that plays team ball, and who doesn’t care what the haters say.
To come back from a 3-1 series deficit is incredible, but doing it twice? Come on, anyone who focuses solely on the Clippers’ choke job does the Nuggets a gross disservice. Give credit where credit is due before you start labeling the series “the one that got away from the Clippers.”
Give credit to Jokic, who averaged 24.4 pts, 12 rebs, and 6.6 assists. Give credit to Murray, who averaged 22.6 pts, but rattled off 40 pts in the most critical game of his career. Tout the five players who averaged double digits, or close to double digits for the Nuggets, Gary Harris (10.7), Michael Porter Jr. (10.1), Paul Milsap (9.9), Jerami Grant (9.0), and Monte Morris (9.0).
Having five players who aren’t stars make consistent contributions is what I love about basketball. Despite what the talking heads on the sporting networks will tell you, basketball is still a team sport.
That’s not to say basketball isn’t a star-driven league. As Jokic and Murray displayed, whichever team’s best players show up on a nightly basis will win the series. You can’t win without superstars in the NBA.
Which is why what the Nuggets pulled off is so monumental for the league. The league loves flashy, big market matchups. Who wants to see Nikola Jokic waddling up the court making off-balance jump shots and threading the needle to Jerami Grant? Who wants to see Jamal Murray bounce around on the perimeter and drive into the lane to make boring floaters all series? Me, sign me up!
I can tell you who doesn’t, though, the NBA, which is why every headline you see is how disappointed everyone is in the Clippers. But before you chastise the Clippers, take a moment and give credit to the team who showed the most fight, give credit to the coordinated attack of the Nuggets, the gameplan of Mike Malone, and the composure of a young roster.
The Nuggets accomplishment is a shining example of why we all love the world of sports. They reveal all of our weaknesses and strengths and display them for the world to see.
We saw what the Nuggets were made of, and it was spectacular.
Don’t Let the Clippers Off the Hook
We also saw what the Clippers were made of, and it was softer than Jokic’s baby fat. There is no excuse for the Clippers. Jamal Murray scored 12 more points (40) in game 7 than the Clippers’ three biggest offensive threats, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Lou Williams (combined 28).
It’s how you lose that matters.
And for all the hoopla that surrounded the Clippers this year about how they were the best defensive team in basketball, even drawing comparisons from some delirious fans to Jordan’s Bulls, they outright folded in the final three games of the series.
If you’re Paul George, you can’t justify bungling three first-half leads of 16 points in game 5, 19 points in game 6, and 12 points in game 7 by saying, “we’ve only been playing together for a year.” If you’re Kawhi Leonard, you can’t claim you’re the king of LA and then score two points in the fourth quarter of game 7. If you’re Patrick Beverly, you can’t act like a rottweiler and get treated like a poodle by Jamal Murray in game 7. The shameful list goes on.
An upset of this proportion has less to do with team chemistry and more to do with a lack of spirit. If it were a team chemistry issue, the Nuggets would have beaten the Clippers earlier.
It’s difficult to decide who deserves the lion’s share of blame for the Clippers, but I’m not sure it matters. For as much finger-pointing as the sports world wants to dish out, this series came down to one thing, heart. It’s hard to quantify heart, but the Clippers didn’t have it, and the Nuggets did.
Looking Forward to the Conference Finals
The only chance the Clippers have at getting let off the hook is if they dismantle the Lakers. But with Anthony Davis matching up with Jokic, and the way the Lakers defense has been playing, it looks like a long-shot. Then again, so was coming back from a 3-1 lead, twice.
At this point, the Nuggets put the world on notice. We should appreciate the battle for the conference finals being fought by two teams who showed they deserve it instead of the sexiest matchup with the biggest profit margin.
Thank the Nuggets, not the Clippers for that purity.
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