The Western Conference playoffs continue on Friday evening, as the Los Angeles Clippers will have the perfect opportunity to book their place in the finals. The Clippers have long been expected to reach the finals this season, and they will be keen to get over the line as quickly as possible against a competitive Denver Nuggets side.
When: Friday 11th September
Where: HP Field House
How To Watch: NBA TV
Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets Game Five Odds
| Los Angeles Clippers (-8.0) | -110 |
| Denver Nuggets (+8.0) | -110 |
Clippers Edging Towards Western Finals
The aim for the Los Angeles Clippers at the beginning of the season was the NBA Championship, and they are now a step closer to achieving that feat thanks to their 96-85 victory in game four of their series against the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers led from the first quarter in that success as they outscored the Nuggets 26-12 in the opening period. However, that slow start hampered any chance the Nuggets had of building momentum, and they were always chasing the game from that start.
Clippers now hold a series lead of 3-1. Therefore, that already looks like a difficult challenge for Denver to overcome. In order to overcome this semi-final, the Nuggets now must win all four remaining games of the series, which looks incredibly unlikely. The strong start in game four enables the Clippers to just hold the Nuggets off at arms length to edge to the success, and once again Kawhi Leonard was the man for the big occasion.
Just over 12 months ago, Leonard played a starring role for the Toronto Raptors as they overcame Philadelphia in the Eastern semi-finals, but this series has not been nearly as close. That didn’t stop Leonard from stamping his authority all over this game, as he scored a game-high 30 points in nearly 40 minutes on the court. Meanwhile, he added eleven rebounds and nine assists. Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac, Lou Williams, Montrezi Harrell and Paul George also recorded double-digit points in the success.
Nikola Jokic once again led the ways for the Nuggets, as he scored 26 points. However, he was helpless in the Clippers onslaught with the next highest scored for the Nuggets being Jamal Murray, who scored 18. Clippers outscored the Nuggets in field goals, as they recorded 33 from 79. However, the Nuggets were more efficient from beyond the arc as they scored on 33.3% of their efforts.
Latest Injury News
Vlatko Cancar and Will Barton will both be missing for the upcoming game, with Cancar expected to return should the series head to a game six. Meanwhile, the Clippers will once again be at full strength.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets Game Five Picks
The Clippers have been efficient throughout this series as they have done much of their work in defence. Therefore, they are looking like a certainty to reach the finals, and this will be the game that they book that spot, as a potential showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers awaits them.
Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (-8.0) at -110 with BetOnline.ag.
