The first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is coming to a close, but not before a Game 7 clash between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers occurred on Saturday night.
The Nuggets ultimately pulled away in the second half before cruising to a 120-101 win led by 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists from Nikola Jokić.
Here’s a closer look at the full NBA playoff picture following Saturday’s result as well as the upcoming postseason schedule.
Saturday Scores
Game 7: Denver Nuggets def. Los Angeles Clippers, 120-101
Western Conference First Round
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies (OKC wins series 4-0)
No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers (DEN wins 4-3)
No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors (series tied 3-3)
No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN wins series 4-1)
Western Conference Semifinal Matchups
No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors/No. 2 Houston Rockets
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 4 Denver Nuggets
Eastern Conference First Round
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Miami Heat (CLE wins series 4-0)
No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks (IND wins series 4-1)
No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons (NYK wins series 4-2)
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic (BOS wins series 4-1)
Eastern Conference Semifinal Matchups
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 4 Indiana Pacers
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 3 New York Knicks
Upcoming Playoff Schedule: Sunday, May 4
Game 1: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers, 6 p.m. ET
Game 7: Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets, 8:30 p.m. ET
Saturday Results
Denver Nuggets 120, Los Angeles Clippers 101
The final score of Saturday’s contest didn’t seem like it would be as lopsided as it eventually was in the first quarter, with the Clippers scoring the first six points of the game and taking a 26-21 lead entering the second.
Los Angeles eventually fell behind 46-43 before Denver closed the first half on a 12-4 run.
The Nuggets went on another 17-3 run to open the second half that put the game out of reach for the Clippers, leading by as many as 35 points.
Denver won with a balanced scoring effort, as six players finished with at least 15 points. Aaron Gordon scored a team-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out five assists.
The Nuggets were efficient from all areas of the floor, scoring 66 points in the paint while also shooting 37.9 percent from three-point territory as a team.
For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points despite none of his teammates recording more than 13. James Harden racked up 13 assists compared to two turnovers, but dropped a mere seven points while shooting 2-of-8 from the field.
Denver will now travel to face Oklahoma City in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
