Nikola Jokic and Denver Nuggets Shatter Clippers' Playoff Dreams in Game 7
If you wanted fireworks in a Game 7, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets didn’t disappoint. On May 3, 2025, Jokic turned Ball Arena into his personal playground, powering Denver to a 120-101 rout over the LA Clippers and punching the Nuggets’ ticket to the NBA Playoffs’ second round. The mood? Electric. The stakes? Do or die for both squads. But it was Denver that owned every big moment when it counted.
Jokic was in full command from the jump, making everyone else on the floor look like extras in a script he authored. Every pass hit its mark, every decision slowed the game to his pace. His fingerprints were everywhere — points, rebounds, bullet passes. Clippers defenders looked lost trying to contain him. And when Jokic needed help, Aaron Gordon was right there, crashing to the rim for tough buckets and flipping the switch on defense. Denver’s offense moved like a well-oiled machine, but it was intensity on the other side of the ball that squeezed LA dry.
Kawhi Leonard? He did what he could, tossing in jumpers and muscling his way to the basket to lead Clippers scoring. But he couldn’t find the help he needed. LA had pockets of energy and a few sparks in transition, but they never really threatened. Every Clippers run met a wall of Nuggets defenders or a Jokic-run fast break for an easy two. The Denver bench got in on the action as well — fresh legs, pesky defense, and a string of open looks. If the Clippers couldn’t keep up, it’s because Jokic and Co. never let up.
What This Win Means for Denver — and the Rest of the NBA Playoffs
This wasn’t just a win — it was a loud statement. Denver’s squad, loaded with depth and swagger, finished the regular season at the top of the West and came into the playoffs on a mission. The Clippers had boasted a solid 50-32 record but fell apart under the playoff lights, especially when Denver sped up the tempo. Those fast-break buckets? LA could only watch most of them go in.
Now, road gets steeper for Denver. Next up is a heavyweight clash with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who just ran through the regular season at an eye-popping 68-14 and have already landed a blow in their own playoff run with a Game 1 win over Memphis. Denver knows the Thunder bring the heat, but if Jokic can keep this level, nobody’s writing the Nuggets off.
The rest of the NBA’s playoff bracket remains as unpredictable as ever. Out West, Jimmy Butler lit it up in his first game in a Golden State uniform, dropping 25 points with five steals to power the Warriors past Houston. Over in the East, the Indiana Pacers didn’t waste time, seizing a 1-0 series advantage over the Milwaukee Bucks. Upsets, star debuts — the postseason hasn’t lost its wild touch.
For Denver fans, hope runs high. Jokic just delivered one of his finest playoff performances, and the Nuggets look ready for whatever comes next. The Clippers, meanwhile, face a summer full of questions. In the NBA, there’s no time to dwell — it’s on to the next battle.