(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets have gotten off to a strong start to their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, with Mike Malone’s squad winning the first two games as the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 and Game 4.
At this point in time, the Nuggets look like they may pull off a sweep of the Lakers for the second straight year, which means Denver could be rested and ready to face who they’ll take on in the second round.
If the Nuggets beat the Lakers in the first round, they’ll take on the winner of the first-round matchup between Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns and the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves, where Denver would likely be the favorite regardless of the opponent.
With the Nuggets looking like the favorite to advance to the NBA Finals in the Western Conference, Austin Rivers believes that only the Los Angeles Clippers will give the defending champions a run for their money in a seven-game series via NBA on ESPN.
The Clippers are the only team that can force the Nuggets to a seven-game series, @AustinRivers25 says pic.twitter.com/WhohVbJv8Y
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 23, 2024
The Clippers are currently going head-to-head against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, where Tyronn Lue’s squad is leading the series heading into Game 2 on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.
The Clippers’ biggest question mark moving forward is the health of superstar forward Kawhi Leonard, who missed Game 1 and is listed as questionable for Game 2 on Tuesday.
If the Clippers can’t get Leonard back, Los Angeles might not be able to go the distance in the West, but stranger things have happened, especially with this team also having Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook on the squad.
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