Nuggets vs Clippers G4 Preview: Harden Hits the Match Point with Small Cards Injuries plague Jokic's two teammates

At 6 a.m. Beijing time on April 27, the Clippers played the Nuggets again at home to start the fourth game of the series. In the first three games, the Clippers led 2-1 overall. Harden will hit the match point in this game and try to extend the lead.

In the first game of G3, the Clippers beat the Nuggets 117-83. After the game, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said: "It's far from over, even though we won one game by a big margin. We have to continue to work hard to prove that this victory was not accidental. ”

In the first two games played in Denver, the overall difference between the two teams was just five points. The first game went to overtime, and the second game wasn't settled until the Nuggets missed two three-pointers in the final seconds.

But in this playoff game at the Clippers' new arena, the balance of victory tipped in the Clippers' favor early. The Nuggets opened with a seven-point lead, and then the Clippers went on a 23-2 offensive surge. After that, the only suspense was how big the final margin would be.

Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman said after Game 3: "The first two games were very competitive, and this one is not like that. But we can get back into shape in the fourth game and correct a lot of mistakes. ”

Leonard continued his stellar run in the series, contributing 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Clippers. In the first three playoff games of the season, he averaged 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 60.8 percent from the field and 8 of 16 from three-point range.

In the third game, Xiaoka received strong support from his teammates, and all six members of the team scored double-doubles. Harden had 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds, Powell also scored 20 points, and Zubac contributed 19 points and nine rebounds as the Clippers snapped a two-game winning streak.

"Everyone contributed, and it was a great game for all of us," Leonard said. The Nuggets are a very good team and they have a lot of experience. We still need to stay focused, work together and go into the next game with a good mentality. ”

The Nuggets' Braun can't wait to prove himself in G4. "We'll be ready. We have just suffered a heavy blow, but we have to respond. We can't throw in the towel, and we can't complain. I wish the game had come sooner so we could have responded sooner. ”

Nuggets superstar Jokic has picked up two straight triple-doubles, bringing his career playoff tally to 20. In the first three games of the series, he averaged 26 points, 11.7 assists and 11 rebounds per game. In G3, he had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

In addition, the Nuggets are also facing injury problems, with guard Westbrook (left foot inflammation) and forward Porter (left shoulder sprain) still doubtful. In the G3 game, Westbrook withdrew in the second quarter, and Porter insisted on playing after being injured in the second game. Michael Porter Jr. scored just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Michael Porter Jr. said: "They say this kind of injury usually takes four to five weeks to recover. I mean, the shoulder is used for almost any movement in the game. It's hard to grab rebounds, and it's hard to lift the ball and shoot. I'm only about 20 to 30 percent right now. ”

The Nuggets struggled on the offensive end, with G3's 83 points being the team's lowest score of the season. The Nuggets also had 16 turnovers in G3 and shot just 7-of-26 from three-point range.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who scored 23 points in Game 3, said: "We need to calm down and reduce turnovers. We need to go with the flow and trust each other...... I think there are a lot of things we can do better. ”

The Clippers will be looking to win again in G4 and further control the series. "Keep the killer mentality and defend your home court," Harden said. We did what we had to do and we were ready for Game 4. It's a crucial game for us. ”

List of injuries and illnesses

Nuggets: Holmes is out, Willis and Porter are doubtful

Clippers: All players are available

ESPN predicts the win rate: Nuggets 39.8%, Clippers 60.2%