Regular Season Series: 2-2
Keys:
Leonard Going Old School
Injuries have been Leonard’s story for the last few seasons, but he finished the season hitting on all cylinders.
First of all, in six April games, Leonard played 38 minutes or more in four of them. That should tell you how healthy he is.
Now for on the court performance, in April Leonard averaged 26.7 points per game and shot 50% from the three-point line.
If Leonard can be 80% of the two-way player he used to be, the Clippers have a real chance.
Russell Westbrook
With all that happened with the firing of Mike Malone and Calvin Booth, Westbrook’s name was the most talked about. There seemed to be some discussion of how many minutes Westbrook should get at the expense of Jalen Pickett.
Denver finished the season on a three-game winning streak and Westbrook played well in the last two. No matter what the future brings for the Nuggets’ roster, Westbrook’s experience makes a big difference.
His shot selection will be key. Denver can’t afford those 3-11 shooting games.
