Denver Nuggets - The Next Level [Game 3 + 4]

Smith/Rose might be quite a shootout. Reckon a team effort is going to take down their lone star in the long run, though. Nuggets in five.

I guess the best way to describe Rose's situation is that he is like D-Wade when they Heat were champions in 06. He has some great role players around him, but he's definitely carrying them at this point. Actually, playing against him, he pretty much is the next D-Wade.

Maybe if you combine all of your players facial hair you will be able to beat James Harden and the Clippers.

Seriously though, it looks like both top seeds are on a collision course to meet in the Finals.

It's funny because after reading that, I looked at all my players and realised you were right (about the facial hair).

I like that the top seeds are staying on course more at this point than they were at the start. It makes for a more authentic experience I think.

Bulls back in the Finals, like old times. Good luck man!

Thanks Thierry, I enjoy seeing the Bulls rise once again as well

Oh man, Ollie Rose is hungry for his first title.... Too bad he won't get it

I hope you're right; he's one hell of a player though. I wouldn't completely count him out yet.

JR/Rose matchup will be one to watch. Even if you somehow manage to get Rose in foul trouble like I recommended earlier on, they still have Harden coming off the bench. Hoping for another Glanville flop, and Nuggets in 5.

I'm not hoping for another flop... that enraged me last to

But yeah, they're a team that has quite a bit of talent, even though Rose is their only real star. I was looking at some of the DNA ratings, he has a speed rating of 99 and Harden has one of 98. I hope they don't run rings around my vets

Denver Vs LA Clippers: The First Four Games

Game 1: Perko Continues MVP Form In Win



The Denver Nuggets took the first game of the Western Conference Finals with an 88-79 win over the Clippers. It was a return to form for Kevin Durant, who top scored with 27 points. J.R. Smith's scoring average continues to slip, but he still managed to score 17. It was the third player of the big three that made the most impact though. Borislav Perko recorded another triple-double, this time having a 3 by 15 game. He tallied 15 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists. In a series that has the top two contenders for the regular season MVP, Perko managed to outshine them both with his performance. Coming off the bench, Adrian Young and Taylor MacKenzie scored 10 each to complement Denver's starters.

Ollie Rose was the top scorer for both teams with 30 points and he received excellent support from Ricardo Carlos, who scored 20 himself. But elsewhere they had a hard time manufacturing points, as P.J. Davies was the only other double-digit scorer with 11.

Denver go up 1-0 in the series with this performance.

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LAC@DEN

DEN: 88 (Durant 27, Smith 17, Perko 15)
LAC: 79 (Rose 30, Carlos 20, Davies 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 15 points 16 rebounds 16 assists

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 16
LAC: Cox 9

Assists

DEN: Perko 16
LAC: Wagner 9

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Game 2: Clippers Level Series In OT



After an extra period was needed, the Los Angeles Clippers came away with a 106-100 win over Denver in game 2. Trailing 88-85, the Clippers had the last play of regulation to tie the game up, with P.J. Davies hitting the three to send it to OT. Here's how it unfolded:

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Davies finished the game with 24 points. After his shot, the Clippers had all the momentum in the overtime period and were simply too good for the defending champs. Even though Davies' big shot kept them in the game, it was Ricardo Carlos who was the truly outstanding player, scoring 34 points and picking up 11 rebounds in a huge game for the makeshift power forward. Ollie Rose played an unfamiliar supporting role to Carlos and Davies, scoring 21, while Philipp Wagner reached a double-double with 12 points and 14 assists.

The loss soured what was another amazing effort from Borislav Perko, who picked up another triple-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 16 assists. With players like Taylor MacKenzie (24) and Kevin Durant (23) both contributing at a high level, and J.R. Smith (18) having a solid game as well, this as definitely a game that the Nuggets could have won. But they were simply overwhelmed by an excellent Clippers side.

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LAC@DEN
(OT)
LAC: 106 (Carlos 34, Davies 24, Rose 21)
DEN: 100 (MacKenzie 24, Durant 23, Smith 18)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 15 points 13 rebounds 16 assists 3 blocks

Rebounds

LAC: Carlos 11
DEN: Perko 13

Assists

LAC: Wagner 14
DEN: Perko 16

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Game 3: Nuggets Rout Clippers At Staples



The Denver Nuggets hit back after their loss in game 2 by thrashing the Clippers by 90-68 in game 3. Kevin Durant again had the top scoring output for them with 24, but it was a case of groundhog day as Perko picked up yet another triple-double. It would have seemed impossible for him to take his game to another level with his previous efforts, but he found a way in this game as he flirted with a 20-20. He ended up with 22 points, 19 rebounds and 17 assists. J.R. Smith (18) and Taylor MacKenzie (16) once again played meaningful roles in Denver's victory.

It was a woeful night for the Clippers, but Ricardo Carlos could hold his head up high, as he top scored with 28. Ollie Rose had a sub-par game to say the least, with 13 points. The aforementioned were the only two double digit scorers for the Clippers, with the next best being Philipp Wagner who had 7 points.

Denver now lead 2-1 in the series.

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DEN@LAC

DEN: 90 (Durant 24, Perko 22, Smith 18)
LAC: 68 (Carlos 28, Rose 13, Wagner 7)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 22 points 19 rebounds 17 assists 3 blocks

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 19
LAC: Cox 9

Assists

DEN: Perko 17
LAC: Rose 6

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Game 4: Clippers Respond In Kind



After a woeful game 3, the Clippers hit back in the series with an 85-69 victory over the Nuggets in game 4. As he proved during the season, Rose was the difference in this game, as he silenced his critics with a 35 point performance. His partner in crime, Ricardo Carlos once again had another productive night with 20 points. Even though they were the only two double figure scorers, Tim Cox, P.J. Davies and Lance Travis all scored 6 points each.

Taylor MacKenzie almost scored half of Denver's points as he came off the bench with 31. J.R. Smith was solid without looking threatening with 16 points, while Borislav Perko narrowly missed out on his 4th straight triple-double with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists.

The Nuggets simply couldn't stop Ollie Rose, who proved in this game why many people thought he should have won the regular season MVP award. He got to the hoop with ease and seemed to hit every shot. If the Nuggets want to go to their 4th straight NBA Finals series, they need to do their best to contain him.

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DEN@LAC

LAC: 85 (Rose 35, Carlos 20, Cox 6)
DEN: 69 (MacKenzie 31, Smith 16, Perko 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Ollie Rose 35 points 2 rebounds 1 block 2 steals

Rebounds

LAC: Cox 10
DEN: Perko 9

Assists

LAC: Carlos, Rose 7
DEN: Perko 9

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Despite both teams looking likely, no one has truly arrested the momentum in this series so far. If the trend continues, Denver will win in 7, but they'd much prefer to keep Ollie Rose away from the chance of an upset. The conclusion will be up soon.

Perko is going crazy. He's a power forward? I can understand the scoring and rebounding, but that many assists for a big man is awesome.

He's averaging 16.0 ppg, 14.2 rpg, 14.5 apg in the four games so far.

Looks like another epic series. Could the Clippers' day finally be coming?

Ollie Rose is a beast.

Perko is his usual self

Three consecutive triple-doubles, I think that feat was accomplished only three or four times in league history, IIRC.

Three consecutive triple-doubles, I think that feat was accomplished only three or four times in league history, IIRC.

Are you talking playoffs? No doubt the Big O did it more than three consecutive times when he averaged a triple double for a season.

Toughest series of youir's in recent memory. Once again there'd be an awesome intro for Game 5. Good luck, looks like this one's going to seven games.

It's been a long time since you were blown out that way. I would've never thought it'd be the Clippers. Perko is sure having his way this series, though.

Are you talking playoffs? No doubt the Big O did it more than three consecutive times when he averaged a triple double for a season.

I was talking about regular season, but yeah, totally forgot about the Big O. Apart from him, I remember Bob Sura did it three times in a row and I think J-Kidd too.

Perko keeps playing like an MVP but Rose is really tearing you into pieces! These series are shaping really interesting.

Perko is going crazy. He's a power forward? I can understand the scoring and rebounding, but that many assists for a big man is awesome.

He's averaging 16.0 ppg, 14.2 rpg, 14.5 apg in the four games so far.

He's a power forward, yes. I guess he gets so many assists because I tend to control a lot of players off the ball when he gets the possession and it's a great way to get cuts to the rim. Then all you need to do is direct the pass correctly and it's pretty easy to rack them up from there. Doesn't always work, but it's effective a lot of the time.

Looks like another epic series. Could the Clippers' day finally be coming?

Will if it was ever their time, it'd be now. They have probably the best player in the world and are tied 2-2 in a series against the 3-peat champs.

Ollie Rose is a beast.

Perko is his usual self

He's a pain in the ass, that's what he is

But yeah, gotta love the Perko.

Three consecutive triple-doubles, I think that feat was accomplished only three or four times in league history, IIRC.

Are you talking playoffs? No doubt the Big O did it more than three consecutive times when he averaged a triple double for a season.

I was talking about regular season, but yeah, totally forgot about the Big O. Apart from him, I remember Bob Sura did it three times in a row and I think J-Kidd too.

I would have thought Grant Hill could have possibly done it as well, but maybe he's just on the all-time list.

Toughest series of youir's in recent memory. Once again there'd be an awesome intro for Game 5. Good luck, looks like this one's going to seven games.

If it goes to 7, it will be the toughest this season, but I'd probably rate the Rockets series equally as tough at this point.

It's been a long time since you were blown out that way. I would've never thought it'd be the Clippers. Perko is sure having his way this series, though.

You never know what'll happen by 2020; I'm hoping that the Clippers will have some superiority over the Lakers at one stage. But with bullshit Kwame Brown-esque trades and guys like Mike Bibby fouling Kobe Bryant's elbow possibly on the horizon, it's hard to see it ever happening in real life. Unless teams cut off his passing lanes and box him out more effectly, Perko should continue to get his numbers.

Perko keeps playing like an MVP but Rose is really tearing you into pieces! These series are shaping really interesting.

Yeah, he's so hard to defend. Unlimited range and crazy quickness are a deadly combination of skills to have.

Denver Vs LA Clippers: The Conclusion

Game 5: Denver One Away From Fourth Straight Conference Title



After being blown out in game 4, the Denver Nuggets came back swiftly with a 98-84 demolition of the Clippers in game 5. They were led by Taylor MacKenzie in the scorer's column, who scored 31. After narrowly missing out last game, Borislav Perko collected another Sprite Performer of the Game with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Durant and J.R. Smith scored 12 each, while rookie reserve Adrian Young chipped in with 10.

The Clippers had three players who scored more than 20 points, with Ricardo Carlos leading the charge with 22. PJ Davies and Ollie Rose both had 21, while Philipp Wagner came close to another double-double with 10 points and 9 assists. Despite having more players with over 20, the Clippers lacked a 5th double-digit scorer, which ended up being the difference in the game, along with MacKenzie's incredible effort off the bench.

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LAC@DEN

DEN: 98 (MacKenzie 31, Perko 19, Durant 12)
LAC: 84 (Carlos 22, Davies 21, Rose 21)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 19 points 15 rebounds 10 assists 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 15
LAC: Carlos, Cox, Williams 6

Assists

DEN: Perko 10
LAC: Wagner 9

--------------------------------------------

Game 6: Nuggets To Enter Fourth Straight Finals



The Denver Nuggets narrowly held on to take game 6, defeating the Clippers by 81-78. After a relatively lack-luster series, J.R. Smith was the top scorer for Denver with 20 points. Borislav Perko continued his new triple-double streak with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Brandon Jennings had another solid outing in a deciding game with 16 points. Taylor MacKenzie added 10 points to be the last of Denver's double-digit scorers.

For the Clippers, both Ricardo Carlos and Ollie Rose had outstanding games once again. Carlos ended up with 31 points and 11 rebounds to be the best player on the losing side, while Ollie Rose scored 27. They had little help though, with their 3rd option PJ Davies only scoring 10 points.

Both Ollie Rose and Ricardo Carlos both had an excellent series, but their supporting cast was inconsistent. For the Clippers, the series was always going to be about how much help their MVP would get, and even though PJ Davies had his moments, all-in-all Ollie Rose and Ricardo Carlos probably had to do a little too much.

The Nuggets will now face the winner of the Bulls/Raptors series.

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DEN@LAC

DEN: 81 (Smith 20, Perko 18, Jennings 16)
LAC: 78 (Carlos 31, Rose 27, Davies 10)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 18 points 10 rebounds 10 assists 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 10
LAC: Cox 12

Assists

DEN: Perko 10
LAC: Wagner 7

--------------------------------------------

So over the course of the 2020 playoffs, I've decided to scrap the slideshow idea in favour of a "The Story So Far" kind of post. It will detail the pivotal moments in the playoffs so far for Denver and who has come up big for them so far. That will be up next, then the preview for the NBA Finals. Will they take on the top seeded Bulls? Or will the Raptors continue their run of upsets and win the Eastern Conference title?

Hope the Raptors get to the finals, would it be the first time for the franchise?

Nice to see T-Mac 2.0 in the scoring again

Awesome. Havent commented so sorry Seems MacKenzie was big when needed. Good Luck

Suck it Ollie!

Would you trade for Rose/ acquire him in free agency if he was available?

Congrats on making the Finals! T-Mac has been huge these playoffs, and let's not get started on Perko. JR and KD have kind of taken a backseat in the playoffs, though.

A fitting end to the series, seems they gave you a bit more trouble than I was expecting but all that matters at the end of the day is that you're just four wins away from another championship.

Are you talking playoffs? No doubt the Big O did it more than three consecutive times when he averaged a triple double for a season.

I was talking about regular season, but yeah, totally forgot about the Big O. Apart from him, I remember Bob Sura did it three times in a row and I think J-Kidd too.

MJ also had a run of seven in a row back in the 1989 season.

A fitting end to the series, seems they gave you a bit more trouble than I was expecting but all that matters at the end of the day is that you're just four wins away from another championship.

Are you talking playoffs? No doubt the Big O did it more than three consecutive times when he averaged a triple double for a season.

I was talking about regular season, but yeah, totally forgot about the Big O. Apart from him, I remember Bob Sura did it three times in a row and I think J-Kidd too.

MJ also had a run of seven in a row back in the 1989 season.

But he didn't ever get a string of them going in the playoffs, did he?

Ergo, Perko is now the GOAT!

Hope the Raptors get to the finals, would it be the first time for the franchise?

If they make it, it will be the first time since they're yet to yet to play in the NBA Finals IIRC. In fact, I've yet to play the same team twice:

Cleveland
New Jersey
Detroit
Miami
New York
Washington
Chicago/Toronto

So there's an interesting little fact.

Nice to see T-Mac 2.0 in the scoring again

Yeah, I love that he's rising to the occassion. I kept him because of potential and I'm glad it's finally paying off

Awesome. Havent commented so sorry Seems MacKenzie was big when needed. Good Luck

It's cool, you should never feel obliged to comment, I'm just happy that you're ready. MacKenzie is having a breakout post-season.

Suck it Ollie!

Would you trade for Rose/ acquire him in free agency if he was available?

Absolutely, but with Smith and Durant, that's a lot of cap space taken up there. If J.R. retires in the next few years and Ollie is available, I'd definitely try and acquire him.

Congrats on making the Finals! T-Mac has been huge these playoffs, and let's not get started on Perko. JR and KD have kind of taken a backseat in the playoffs, though.

I don't mind J.R. Smith taking a backseat; it's actually something I was Kobe Bryant would do in real life with all the talent the Lakers have. Earl is in his mid 30s, so I'll probably have to think about making him a secondary offensive weapon next season. As for Durant, I'm probably 50-50 when it comes to keeping him this coming free agency. I love having him on the team, but he's going to basically want max contract and with his role in the team, it's extremely hard to justify something like that.

A fitting end to the series, seems they gave you a bit more trouble than I was expecting but all that matters at the end of the day is that you're just four wins away from another championship.

Are you talking playoffs? No doubt the Big O did it more than three consecutive times when he averaged a triple double for a season.

I was talking about regular season, but yeah, totally forgot about the Big O. Apart from him, I remember Bob Sura did it three times in a row and I think J-Kidd too.

MJ also had a run of seven in a row back in the 1989 season.

But he didn't ever get a string of them going in the playoffs, did he?

Ergo, Perko is now the GOAT!

That's too big of a call after just one season. Granted if he puts up these kind of numbers throughout his career, he'd be right up there, but MJ completely changed the game and he's still the yardstick for every shooting guard in the league.

NBA Playoffs 2020: How The Story Has Unfolded

I decided to scrap the series slideshows in favour of a brief run down on who's done what so far in the lead up to the NBA Finals.

No Jazz For Earl

J.R. Smith averaged almost 30 points per game against the Utah Jazz.

How Is This Not In the Scouting Report Yet?

Adrian Young's reputation as an accurate three point shooter has grown over the course of the playoffs. Right now he's shooting with an accuracy of 60 percent from beyond the arc. His best effort was against the Jazz in game one where he was 3 from 3.

Finally Living Up To The Hype

Taylor MacKenzie was absolutely huge against the Rockets in the clutch, nailing two game winners, including the one that decided the series. He has been a go-to-guy for Denver ever since.

The Unexpected

It seemed like Brandon Jennings wouldn't be much of a factor for Denver, but in Game 6 against Houston, he proved that he still has some scoring in him, with 30 points and the Sprite Performer of the Game.

Better Late Than Never

Kevin Durant stepped up and scored points when J.R. smith was struggling to against the Clippers. His best effort was 27 in Denver's game 1 victory.

Denver's New MVP

While two of Denver's stars have been relatively inconsistent, Borislav Perko has been the stabilising. After not getting a single triple-double in the Utah series, he since registered 8 between the Semi Finals and the Western Conference Finals. It seems like he's grabbing every rebound and setting up every play.

---------------------------------

The preview for the NBA Finals will be up next.

Perko & T-Mac taking over. I feel like making a custom T-Mac 2.0 Jersey & buying it.

Its been a decade for you.

Perko & T-Mac taking over. I feel like making a custom T-Mac 2.0 Jersey & buying it.

If I was an eccentric millionaire, I'd have banners made up for all of my favourite TNL players and have them hanging from my wall

Its been a decade for you.

Hopefully there will be another decade to come yet.