Despite another disastrous meltdown by the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon, Kawhi Leonard refused to say that the Clippers choked in Game 6 of their playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.
Kawhi Leonard was asked by a reporter during postgame interview session if Clippers, for a lack of a better word, "choked." Leonard remained steady as always, saying the Clippers just went cold. He also repeatedly said the Clippers just need to leave it all out there in Game 7.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) September 13, 2020
The Clippers watched a 19-point lead disappear as they were outscored 64-35 in the second half and now must battle the Nuggets in an all-or-nothing Game 7 on Tuesday night.
Leonard performed well with 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. However, the Clippers as a whole delivered another disastrous performance that kept them from advancing to the Western Conference finals.
That second-half effort was a flashback to Friday night’s fourth-quarter struggles in which the Clippers held a seven-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter. By the time that game had ended, the Nuggets stayed alive with a 111-105 win.
For Denver, their comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the series mirrors their performance during the first round of the postseason.
Against the Utah Jazz, the Nuggets were able to run off three straight wins to face the Clippers and are obviously now hoping that history repeats itself on Tuesday night.
Whichever team emerges victorious on Tuesday will then face the Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference title.
