Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the Los Angeles Clippers were on the verge of making it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Then, all of a sudden, blew huge leads in back-to-back games and will now face the Denver Nuggetsin Game 7.
The Nuggets clamped the Clippers in the second half. The team scored just 35 points in the final two quarters of the game, even though Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 58 in the losing effort.
Mike Malone's team is used to being in that situation after coming back from a 3-1 deficit vs. the Utah Jazz in the first round. It's pretty clear that they thrive with their backs against the wall and are now one win away from facing the Lakers in the WCF.
However, the Los Angeles Clippers are far from worried, as both Kawhi and George told the media that they're pretty confident in their ability to close the series out despite their recent struggles.
Paul George Says Clippers Aren't In A Panic Mode
"It's positive. This group is staying together. We are still in the driver's seat, it’s not a panic mode. We’ve got a Game 7, I like our odds with our group. We put ourselves in this position and it's on us to get ourselves out of it," George said. "We know what we’re up against. We have the utmost respect for them as opponents, but I like our chances. I like our odds. I like what we have. It’s on us to finish this out," he added.
Kawhi Leonard Says The Clippers Didn't Choke
“We just went cold. Went cold in that 3rd quarter. That’s it. Kept getting to the paint, passing the ball. Got a little stagnant. Just couldn’t make shots. [We] Just got to leave it all out on the floor and make sure we are paying attention to detail,” Leonard said. “[Make sure we’re] executing and communicating on the defensive end and that’s all we can do. Go out there and play hard and just make sure we know the game plan," Kawhi concluded.
The Los Angeles Clippers have a huge history of choking and underperforming in the playoffs, so even though they have arguably the best roster in the NBA this season, they still have to overcome their own history.
