With the Eastern Conference Finals match up set to begin on Tuesday night between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, the Lakers will be waiting for the winner of Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers to determine the Western Conference Finals.
The night will see both the beginning and an end to a series, and one team's season will be over by the end of it. The NBA postseason has provided memorable moments already, from Luka's buzzer beater to the Raptors' double-overtime win to force Game 7 against Boston. But the league's biggest star, LeBron James, sits in waiting while trying to add another championship to his Hall of Fame resume.
Luka Doncic GAME WINNING BUZZER BEATER!!! Clippers vs Mavericks Ending Sequence, Luka-Morris-Luka GWwww.youtube.com
After dismantling the Houston Rockets' explosive offense by changing up their lineups and inserting Markieff Morris and Alex Caruso alongside LeBron James, the Lakers were able to take away the perimeter opportunities that the Rockets have capitalized on all season to outpace their competition. By playing a smaller lineup to combat the Rockets' strengths, the Lakers made Mike D'Antoni's squad look confused and frustrated throughout the series.
It appeared that Lakers' coach, Frank Vogel, had a defensive game plan centered around taking everything away except James Harden. That sounds crazy, but Harden is going to get points regardless of how you defend him, so by focusing on taking away those open teammates spotting up for corner threes, the rest of the Rockets were largely unable to get in rhythm. That included Russell Westbrook who finished Game 5 with only 10 points in 36 minutes.
The Lakers were daring Westbrook to take open three point shots and were rewarded for it. Westbrook went 7 for 27 from three point land during the West Semi Final, which is just a tick above 25%. LeBron James was spectacular, averaging 25.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game in the series.
Those second-round numbers π https://t.co/xhhvozj9Pyβ Los Angeles Lakers (@Los Angeles Lakers) 1600188424.0
It will be interesting to see if the Lakers will utilize the smaller lineup they had success using against Houston against their next opponent. Both the Nuggets and Clippers have formidable big men, so you should expect to see more usage of JaVale McGee and possibly Dwight Howard.
The Nuggets have managed to bring their series with the Clippers back to even after being down 3-1. Denver overcame a 3-1 deficit in the first round of the playoffs against the Utah Jazz, however completing two such comebacks in one postseason has never been accomplished. Standing in front of them will be a determined LA Clippers team and the reigning Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.
This happened the last time Kawhi Leonard played a Game 7. https://t.co/F2WXrLGGMcβ Bleacher Report (@Bleacher Report) 1600183786.0
We are already aware of Kawhi's ability to perform in big moments, but it will be up to his counterpart, Paul George, who has been infamously dubbed "Playoff P" due to his spotty play in the playoffs during his career, to step up and put in a big performance in Game 7 to prevent one of the preeminent favorites to win the championship from going home early, like the Bucks did over in the East.
Although the Clippers boast possibly the deepest and most talented roster in the league, I like the Nuggets to continue their winning streak and upset the Clippers to move onto the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers. Nikola Jokic has proven to be too much to handle at times during this series, and the Clippers don't have a good answer for him defensively. Because Jokic can cause mismatches all over the court and has the vision to find open teammates, I think the duo of the Joker and Jamal Murray will continue their excellent play, especially in the second half of games (82 combined points in the second halves of the two comeback victories), and close out the Clippers.
The @nuggets come back from 19 DOWN to erase a 3-1 series deficit and FORCE GAME 7 Tue. (9/15) at 9pm/et on ESPN!β¦ https://t.co/p2ky7iC3Llβ NBA (@NBA) 1600026629.0
The Heat have surprised many by reaching the Conference Finals, but they are well coached by Erik Spoelstra, and Jimmy Butler has provided the kind of leadership that this young team has responded to. The return of a healthy Goran Dragic to the rotation has given Miami a real boost, as he's been chipping in 21 points per game during the postseason, and his leadership on and off the court is a stabilizing factor for the Heat. Rookie, Tyler Herro, has proven to be willing and able to take big shots in big moments and is a large reason why this team is thriving in the playoffs.
Shooting just a hair under 40% from three point range in the playoffs, Herro gives Butler and fellow all-star Bam Adebayo a reliable option to pass to when the paint clogs up. Butler has described the Heat as having a dog mentality heading into the Eastern Conference Finals, but a gritty and battle tested Celtics team stands in their way of getting to the NBA Finals.
Happy birthday, @JimmyButler They said he went to Miami for the weather, the beaches, & the nightlight. They saβ¦ https://t.co/APXc9edjnaβ πππΌπ ππΌππππ (@πππΌπ ππΌππππ) 1600103397.0
While the Heat have been surprising, the Celtics have managed to resurrect themselves in the wake of the disastrous Kyrie Irving experiment and become a legitimate threat to win the NBA championship this season. Kemba Walker has seized the opportunity in Boston to propel himself into the role of the unquestioned leader of a title worthy young squad.
Jayson Tatum has established himself as a superstar in the league with his play this season, and Jaylen Brown has also taken significant steps forward with increased opportunities this year. Gordon Hayward has provided a steady fourth option for the Celtics and can still score when asked to, but he's also begun to excel as a passer and rebounder, as it seems he's settling into his newfound role. Add in Marcus Smart, who continues to be one of the best defensive players in the league, and you get a team that has the potential to win now and in the future.
Here's the uniform sched for @celtics during the ECF. C's going with black unis for all home games: Game 1 - Statemβ¦ https://t.co/kg6vNOYQ8Oβ Marc D'Amico (@Marc D'Amico) 1600197109.0
Predictions
Western Conference Semi Finals Game 7
Denver Nuggets over Los Angeles Clippers (4-3)
Eastern Conference Finals
Boston Celtics over Miami Heat (4-2)
Western Conference Finals
Los Angeles Lakers over Denver Nuggets (4-3)
