Jim AgnamThe NBA western conference semi-finals between the Denver Nuggets and the L.A. Clippers went 7 games, with the Nuggets winning the series.
Watching the game, it seems like somehow, the clippers were physically and emotionally drained. In games 5 and 6, they consistently race to huge first half leads, and then just embarrassingly almost forget how to play basketball and blow the lead. Both of those games were elimination games. A single win could have clinched the series for the Clippers, but they could not pull it off. In game 7, they choked again.
With this record, some sports television pundits still believed on the clippers, just based on their raw talent.
Magic Johnson is right, the Clippers choked again.
The Clippers choked again. ??♂️ They choked against Houston in 2015 and they choked tonight against the Denver Nuggets.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 16, 2020
However, today’s loss will bring the heat. Reactions started even before the game ended, as they did even more after the game ended. Stephen A. Smith was losing his mind.
OMG CLIPPERS!!! pic.twitter.com/dsaqZmKyue
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) September 16, 2020
Clearly, Doc Rivers was not the better coach in this series. In fact he failed miserably. It was an embarrassment to watch him unable to make any tactical basketball adjustments. He actually holds the record for losing the most series after taking a 3-1 series lead.
It is hard to explain this monumental collapse. It could be a pattern of NBA teams being too absorbed in the social justice movement. Some teams like the L.A. Lakers seem to be doing just fine, while others like the Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks seemed to have allowed the movement to drain them emotionally. Remember when Doc Rivers declared that America hates black people in an emotional reaction to the killing of Jacob Blake? Did this episode knock his team off? It seem like it did.
Maybe Doc Rivers should look in the mirror. America loves him, but the Clippers fans will not love him after this.
Congratulations to the Denver Nuggets. Next up, they face the Los Angeles Lakers.
