There are hardly any two words that spark more excitement in the NBA than "Game Seven", and the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers will serve up the first winner-takes-all contest of the current playoffs at the Ball Arena on Sunday.
With elimination on the horizon, the Clippers rallied themselves to claim a 111-105 triumph in Friday's Game Six at Intuit Dome and live to fight another day.
Match preview
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From being 2-1 down after the first three matchups, the Nuggets recorded wins in games four and five to go 3-2 up and headed to Los Angeles with the opportunity to put the seal on proceedings with a victory.
David Adelman's men edged a narrow first quarter by three points but went into the interval trailing by a one-point deficit, which was further extended by 10 in the third quarter, leaving them with too much ground to make up despite a late fourth-quarter surge.
Led by Nikola Jokic (25) and Jamal Murray (21), the Nuggets had five players in double digits for points but ultimately fell short against the Clippers, largely due to their -7 differential from the free-throw line.
A chance to put Friday's defeat behind them now awaits the Nuggets, who came out on top the last time they faced off against the Clippers in the playoffs five years ago en route to a Western Conference final appearance.
On that occasion, Sunday's hosts also needed to go the full length of a seven-match series to get the job done as they won three straight clashes to complete one of only 13 comebacks in NBA playoff history after being down 3-1.
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Refusing to go down without a whimper, the Los Angeles Clippers performed like a team in the last chance saloon to save their season as they made home advantage count to level the series at three wins apiece.
In a back-and-forth game that saw several lead changes, Tyronn Lue's men went on a 12-0 run in the early exchanges of the second half to take control of proceedings, and there was only going to be one winner from that point.
Much of the Clippers' success after the restart was down to the introduction of Nicolas Batum to the starting unit as the Frenchman became the first player since Andre Iguodala to record a 5/5/5/2/2 game off the bench with six points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks.
As big players do, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard also came to the fore for their team with a combined 55 points, 16 rebounds and 13 assists, while Norman Powell also chipped in with 24 points, including 11 in a stunning third quarter.
As they prepare to take part in a fifth Game Seven over the last decade, the Clippers have had mixed results at this level but emerged victorious from the most recent edition against the Dallas Mavericks back in 2021 off the back of defeats in each of the last three prior.
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Team News
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Dynamic duo Jokic and Murray combined for 46 points last time out, and both men will need to be on song this weekend if the Nuggets are to emerge triumphant.
DaRon Holmes II is unavailable for the home side due to a torn Achilles he suffered back in July and is unlikely to feature again for the Denver Nuggets this season.
Given his impact in Friday's win, veteran guard Nicolas Batum is expected to be handed a significant role in Sunday's clash, albeit off the bench once again.
While he recorded his lowest-scoring game of the series with 10 points on Friday, Ivica Zubac was instrumental in limiting Jokic's offensive output in the second half, and the Defensive Player of the Year nominee will be aiming to stifle the reigning MVP once again.
Denver Nuggets possible starting five:
Murray, Braun; Porter Jr, Gordon; Jokic
Los Angeles Clippers possible starting five:
Harden, Dunn; Powell, Leonard; Zubac
We say: Clippers to win by 5+ points
With so much at stake here, we expect both teams to be fully up for the challenge here, giving rise to an enthralling affair.
That said, we just about fancy the visitors to carry the day and stun the Ball Arena into silence at the sound of the final buzzer.
Adepoju Marvellous
