Nuggets’ stunning second-half comeback saves season, forces Game 6 vs. Clippers

The Denver Nuggets have some cockroach in them.

Left for dead with their season on the brink, the Nuggets refused to die Friday night. After trailing by 15 in the third quarter, the Nuggets ripped off a stirring second-half comeback that fought off elimination for the fourth time this postseason. Denver’s 111-105 win over the Clippers guaranteed a Game 6 on Sunday in the Western Conference semifinals.

After Paul Millsap’s season-saving third quarter made the margin manageable, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray seized the fourth quarter. Both found their offensive rhythm in time to save Denver’s season.

Amid a clutch 14-2 run midway through what could’ve been the Nuggets’ final quarter of the season, Murray and Jokic combined for three 3-pointers that flipped momentum and gave the Nuggets a fragile 94-88 lead. On the other end, Denver’s defense buckled down and revealed the fly-around mentality their coach had begged for.

Not that Kawhi Leonard or Paul George was going to concede for a chance with the Western Conference Finals on the line. Both stars kept charging, forcing their relentless offense on Denver’s wings. The Clippers drew to within 102-100 with 1:58 left before Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. drained a 3-pointer that must’ve lifted the weight of the world off him. Another block and key rebound by Porter Jr. helped seal the victory down the stretch.

Jokic powered the Nuggets with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Murray finished with 26 points and five 3-pointers.

Millsap almost single-handedly kept the Nuggets afloat in the third quarter as the Clippers threatened, multiple times, to pull away. Millsap scored 14 of his 17 points, draining one 3-pointer to complement his steady marches to the free-throw line. Denver trailed by as many as 15 just minutes into the second half before clawing its way back and sawing the margin to just 80-73 heading into the fourth.

Their effort – and perhaps their pride – was indicative of the same outfit that fought back from a 3-1 deficit against Utah.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said his team “briefly” discussed Porter Jr.’s critical postgame comments following Game 4 and reminded the rookie how imperative it is to keep those feelings in-house.

“Obviously during the playoffs, the last thing you want is any type of distraction, and if those frustrations are there for Michael or for anybody, it is much better to keep those conversations internal, in the locker room and amongst ourselves,” Malone said.

It wasn’t immediately clear how those critical comments landed among Porter’s teammates.

The Nuggets took a day off on Thursday to decompress and process their second 3-1 deficit in the playoffs. After a day to think about it, Malone briefly re-visited Game 4 and diagnosed what needed to change.

“How we can help ourselves is, if the defense stays where it has been, get out and run, attack, get to the rim, get to the paint, put pressure on them,” Malone said. “Don’t stand, make sure the ball is moving, make sure bodies are moving. Have to set better screens.

“I understand – I don’t listen to it, but I hear that people back home are criticizing Jamal because of his play, which I think is just outlandish,” Malone continued. “Please consider who is guarding him and how they’re guarding him.”

Murray averaged over 31 points per game on nearly 50% shooting from the 3-point line in the first round. Entering Game 5, Murray was shooting just 37% overall and finding less than 18 points per game.

Though the Nuggets’ offense struggled again in the first half, they played with the energy of a team facing elimination. The Clippers carried a 56-44 lead into halftime built on the sturdy shoulders of Leonard.

Once again, Murray saw waves of Clipper defenders but wasn’t going to defer. He had 15 points on 15 shots in the first half, his stubborn persistence one of the defining traits of the opening half. The Nuggets also showed some momentary fight when Millsap and Marcus Morris got tangled up fighting for a rebound late in the second quarter.

Jokic managed just nine points over the first two quarters, while no other Nugget registered more than five. The difference early was Los Angeles’ scorching outside shooting. The Clippers rained nine 3-pointers, including three from George.