KEYPOINTS SUMMARY โ Harden and Kawhi force
- James Harden scores 28 and Kawhi Leonard adds 27 to keep Clippers alive
- Clippers defeat Nuggets 111โ105 in do-or-die Game 6
- Series now tied 3-3 and heads back to Denver for Game 7
- Winner will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round
- Norman Powell drops 24 off the bench, including clutch shots in 4th quarter
- Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray couldnโt carry Nuggets over the top
- Ty Lue โchecks the temperatureโ with late-night calls to fire up his players
Clippers Thunder Game 7 Incoming: Harden, Kawhi Send Message to Denver
Theyโre not done yet. Harden and Kawhi force
The Los Angeles Clippers arenโt going home. Not tonight. Not after James Harden turned back the clock and Kawhi Leonard reminded Denver who he is.
With the season on the line, the Clippers delivered a massive 111โ105 win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6, sending the series right back to Mile High for a brutal Game 7.
And guess whoโs waiting for the winner? The Oklahoma City Thunder, rested, ready, and watching.
The stage is set. The pressure is sky-high. Game 7 is happening.
James Harden: The Beard Is Back
Letโs talk about James Harden. For two straight games, he looked out of gas. Combined 26 points in Games 4 and 5. Doubts were creeping in.
But in Game 6? Boom.
The Beard lit up Crypto.com Arena with 28 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds in 47 grueling minutes of playoff basketball.
It was vintage Harden โ the iso moves, the step-back threes, the sneaky passes through tight lanes. He did it all.
And when it mattered most, he showed why heโs still one of the most feared guards in the league.
โThis oneโs on me,โ Harden said postgame. โWe had mistakes, yeah, but I knew I had to set the tone. Game 7? Iโll be better.โ
Better? Denver better be worried. Harden and Kawhi force.
Kawhi Leonard = Silent Assassin
While Harden brought the flash, Kawhi Leonard brought the hammer.
The two-time Finals MVP was everywhere โ calmly drilling shots, grabbing rebounds, and controlling the pace. He finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, barely breaking a sweat.
And letโs be honest: Kawhi doesnโt talk much. But when he plays like this, he doesnโt have to.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue revealed he checked in with the team during their off-day after Game 5. He made โtemperature checkโ calls to see who was still in this mentally.
Kawhi? Stone cold. All business. All impact.
โHe always does that,โ Kawhi said of Lueโs calls. โJust wants to know where weโre at. Lineups. Matchups. Heโs good at that.โ
Clippers Dominate the Second Half
This one was close โ until it wasnโt.
Denver started strong, finishing the first quarter with a 28โ25 lead. But the Clippers kept their cool and used a 33โ29 second quarter to steal the halftime lead at 58โ57.
Then came the third quarter, and thatโs when Norman Powell decided to take over.
Powell dropped 11 of his 24 points in the third quarter alone. He slashed. He scored. And he hit a dagger 3-pointer late in the fourth to push the lead to 110โ101, crushing Denverโs final hopes.
His energy off the bench? Absolutely electric.
And when Nicolas Batum dished a slick assist to Powell for a tough layup in the third, L.A. went up 80โ66, their largest lead of the night.
Nuggets Try to Rally โ But Come Up Short
To their credit, the Nuggets didnโt roll over.
Nikola Jokic, ever the MVP finalist, battled to the end. He finished with 25 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds, just shy of a triple-double.
But frustration mounted. Jokic gestured furiously at refs multiple times for missed calls while being mauled under the rim.
His teammate Jamal Murray, who had 43 points in Game 5, was solid but less dominant, ending with 21 points, 8 boards, and 8 dimes.
Still, the offense lacked the pop and punch they needed to counter the Clippersโ attack.
Coach David Adelman Fires Warning Shot
After the game, Nuggets coach David Adelman wasnโt in meltdown mode โ but he made it crystal clear: theyโre coming ready for war in Game 7.
โWeโll match the physicality,โ Adelman said. โThis wasnโt our best, but weโve been here before.โ
Translation: expect a rough, gritty battle in Denver. The Nuggets know they missed a chance to close it out. Now, theyโll have to deal with a red-hot Clippers team and the pressure of a Game 7 crowd.
All Eyes on Game 7: Thunder Waiting in the Wings
Hereโs where things get even more dramatic.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the youngest and most exciting teams in the league, are chilling right now. Watching. Resting. Preparing.
Theyโve already punched their ticket to Round 2.
And now, theyโll face the winner of Sundayโs Game 7 showdown between the Clippers and Nuggets.
The contrast couldnโt be more obvious:
- Clippers and Nuggets: battle-worn, bruised, and desperate
- Thunder: rested, fearless, and full of swagger
Whoever survives Game 7 is walking into a very different storm.
Tyronn Lueโs Leadership Shines Bright
Letโs give a little love to Ty Lue, the coach whoโs seen it all.
After back-to-back losses, he didnโt panic. He made calls. He asked questions. And he listened to his players.
That โtemperature checkโ wasnโt just a cute phrase โ it was a masterclass in leadership.
โI just wanted to hear how they felt,โ Lue said postgame. โWhere their heads were at. I needed to know if we were still locked in. They answered that tonight.โ
Boy, did they.
What to Expect in Game 7
So whatโs coming next?
Well, expect fireworks.
- Harden vs. Murray: veteran vs. rising star
- Jokic vs. Zubac/Batum: a war in the paint
- Kawhiโs quiet dominance vs. the pressure of Denverโs home crowd
- Powell and Bones Hyland looking to spark things off the bench
Itโs going to be physical. Itโs going to be loud. And itโs going to be epic.
The Clippers Arenโt Done Yet โ And Neither Is This Series -Harden and Kawhi force
This is why we love the playoffs.
Just when it looked like the Clippers might fade out of the postseason quietly, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard showed up like itโs 2019 all over again, and dragged L.A. to a Game 7.
Denver had the upper hand. Now? All bets are off.
Game 7 will be a battle of wills. And the Thunder are waiting with popcorn in hand.
Buckle up. The Clippers Thunder Game 7 drama is about to explode.
