Clippers force a Mile-High Showdown with Game 6 win 111-105

Clippers stock. I'm out of Maslin. We got you here for the next hour eight six six nine eight seven two five seventy eight six six nine, eight seven two five seventy. Niko Batoum is the difference maker. I said early in the regular season for everybody crying about, oh, they never got their power forward the Clippers never brought that guy in. He's hiding in plain sight. If you need a power forward in a certain matchup, and I specifically said against Denver, in case of emergency, break glass

and go to Niko Batoum. That's it. That's the move they did it. Finally, this wasn't about him going for twenty points or anything like that. It's about the connectivity on the offensive side. That beautiful extra feed with a bounce pass to DJ and the near side corner for a big three point in the second half. And then on defense he can switch on to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. You got a guy that can guard both of them adequately in Niko Batoum's That's what he does.

That's why we've been crying about it. Maybe took one game longer than I thought it was going to, but coach lou eventually got to that point where he said, we gotta play him when we gotta play him heavy minutes. He ends up with thirty four minutes in this ball game. The Clippers come through. They out execute Denver when they had to, They got stops when they had to. A Vita Zubots. This was one of the best defensive games, maybe the best of his career, giving the stakes incredible.

Jokis were just five points in the second half, Jamal Murray just nine points in the second half. He had just nine points after the first quarter. This Clippers team got back to basics, got back to doing what they do best. After a game where they gave up one hundred and thirty, they give up just one oh five. The defense showed up. The sense of urgency was there. James Harden answered the bell after all the talk after

games four and five. He showed up and had twenty one of his twenty eight points in the first half, and the Clippers were only up by one. Denver wasn't missing. Harden was matching them offensively. Harden was getting downhill relentlessly. The Clippers started one of ten from three. At one point, I want to say they were two of fourteen or two of fifteen. But they didn't settle. They got into the paint. They only had fifty points in the paint. Denver had fifty six, but the Clippers did get up

thirty nine three pointers. But they were so good at finishing when they got inside the three point arc. In the first half, it held up their offense. As much as they were missing, they were finishing beautifully. I mean Norman Powell that two handed dunk in transition the second half got into a dome Outher seats. He was fabulous and we'll talk more about him after a ten second station identification. You're on a five to seventy LA Sports.

play for the Denver Nuggets. He's still finished with nineteen, but the the way he has punished the Clippers on the boards and of course with a pretty key in historic offensive rebound leading to a putback dunk to win here and into a Dooeman game four. What he has been able to do with his hustle plays while scoring the basketball, He's been incredible. You've needed to counter that for some time. They finally did it to an acceptable degree tonight by unleashing Niko Batoum, the power forward was

on this team. Internally, I told you all season long, I felt like they were hiding Nico, putting him in bubble wrap, not playing him heavy minutes for a moment like this. Better late than ever. I hope it wasn't too late. I believe he'll be starting Game seven, and they got one for all the marbles you win that you're taking on. Okay, see on Monday. Kawhi Leonard, I don't want to say a quiet twenty seven. He was eleven or twenty two from the field. He struggled from

three two of eight, but he had ten boards. He led them in that area again, boardman gets paid five assists. He had moments where he really gave them a lift. All around, very good game from Kawhi Leonard. Not Game two, but an all around very good game from Kawhi. A must win situation, so you get Norm, Kawhi and James Harden all going for twenty four or more. Zubats only had ten points, but his defense was out of this world. He had two blocks on one possession down the stretch

against Niko Jokic. I can't say enough about the job he's done in this series. And Denver wanted this game. I know it's not groundbreaking. They desperately wanted this game because after they won Game five to go up three games to two, what was all the questions coming their way? It was about from that Denver media, what happened last year losing that game six on the road by forty five to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then eventually losing that game seven back at home. They played with a level

of desperation late in this ballgame. The Clippers did leave too many wide open threes for my liking. In the fourth quarter, Christian Brown, he hit a couple. Denver made a push, but the Clippers did respond when they had to. It was a five point game. Late, Christian Brown hit a couple of free throws. Clippers turned it over all of the time out. Jokics picked it up, but he then missed a layup. Ball goes flying around. Eventually it's picked up by Kawhi Leonard, who smartly. Well, he might

have been able to go at Jamal Murray. Transition slowed it down, paid them intentionally foul, and the Clippers ran through the tape. It was uncomfortable at times. Maybe the biggest shot of the ballgame was the Norman pal three pointer off some great ball movement to make it one ten to one on one late Norm was talking to the crowd. I don't know if he said, this is our house. He was hyped. It was good to see

he had a great game. And so you go Niko Patum for Chris Dunn to start the second half and Don didn't play afterwards, last twenty four minutes of the ball game, I believe. So you're not putting him in for Norm to lose anything offensively, and really you're not losing anything defensively. And while he's not a great rebounder, he is taller, he's a bigger body. He makes similar winning plays. I love seeing the move. It had to

be done. It was time. Maybe it was overdue to some of you guys, but it happened and it worked. And now you wonder if coach lou was playing the long game. We shall see because Jamal Murray and Jokic were gassed. In the second half, they combined for just fourteen. The Clippers got out and ran, and I think it was intentional, not just because of the turnovers that were going on, but they wanted Jokic to run. They pushed

it with pace. This looked like Clippers basketball. This looked like we had what we had seen all season long, with how good they were creating turnovers and being opportunistic with fast breakpoints. They ended up with just eleven of them. They were also fouled at times, and those didn't count. Towards fast break points. They were going up. They forced the issue when they couldn't hit threes, they got downhill and got whatever they wanted. James Harden led that drive

downhill attack. Loved seeing it. The Clippers knew they had to have it, and they played with the level of desperation we were missing the last couple of games. Urgency was there. I'm sure being back into a dome obviously helped in this one first must win game. Ever, here Clippers want to know in those situations, now a little bit of history. I knew Denver was going to make a run late.

The Clippers held on. They executed well a lot of positives, a lot of things to take away from this ballgame and be hopeful about a Game seven on the road. The pressure shifts to Denver. Both teams will be dealing with it. Game seven's are walkie. Expect a lot of misses. Expect a lot of fifty to fifty balls. Who wants it more? Reps usually swallow with the whistle, but the big adjustment game Niko Buttomb started the second half, expect him to start Game seven. We'll take a quick time out,

We'll come back. More. Clippers tuck after they win a must win Game six. Hear it into a dome one eleven to one oh five over the Denver Nuggets. I'm Mata Maslin and you're listening to a five seven to LA Sports.

to die or live to play another day. Hopefully now with a little bit of momentum and a huge adjustment, they can find a way to win in seven. In Denver tip off Saturday at four thirty. We'll have your

pregame show back here at three point thirty. I am really proud of this group and the way they came out tonight, and especially James Harden because guys, he was my player to watch and everybody was waiting to see if he could bounce back and perform in a game like this after what we saw the last two games. This is why I say it's not like Denver played him much differently tonight than they did the last two games. It's just if you're a star, you gotta play through that.

You gotta find a way to win. Anyways, that's what he did. He's good enough to get twenty eight no matter what the defense is. He showed it tonight. But he was instrumental in so many ways, his passing, his diming. But there was a level of attack from him in aggression to get to the hoop like we hadn't seen the last two games, and maybe you know, at times when he did do it, he wasn't getting calls o't. I don't think you got a great whistle in this

game either. That's okay, play through it. He went five for five at the charity stripe, but this was something where he drove down the lane. I think the second possession for the Clippers didn't get a call, ball went out on Denver. Kawhi was short on a three. After the Clippers got it back. On that possession, you could just see the intent was there. Then eventually he got a bucket in transition over Jokic early in the first quarter.

This Clippers team led early. Unfortunately, Denver would push things and have a lead heading into the second. After one it was twenty eight to twenty five, and a lot of that was just Clippers couldn't hit anything. One of ten from three to start with great looks, wide open looks. Nico missed a no dip three late in the first quarter. The Clippers started eleven for thirteen inside of the three point line the first quarter, but we're just one of ten from three. Harden had six points on the first

quarter of four points. Kawhi had six, Norm had six, and they're only down three heading in to the first while missing some really good looks to start the second. Kawhi but toom Bogie DJ Harden. But I should probably say Nico came in for Done at the five to twenty mark at the first quarter, and the rest is history. He was the first guy at the bench in Game five. As predicted I said, he's getting closer to starting. He

eventually starts the second half. But back to the second quarter, Clippers are going small, and I really liked the urgency from coach Lou with Kawhi minutes early on. He took him out late in the first and then brought him back in at the one twenty five mark. Had a right elbow jumper after the Clippers were down by six, make it down by seven. I think you could just see the way Coach Lou was toddling rotations, very very crisp,

very sharp rotations, sense of urgency, valuing every possession. I think that has an overall effect with the team too, to remind you of, hey, this is it, win or go home. But that second quarter they start small. Kawhi but toom Bogie, DJ and Harden. Harden got to the line early. Then there was an offensive foul on DJ. Bogie had a great tip in, by the way, on a Kauhi miss from three. Now it's twenty eight to twenty nine. Clippers take the lead back. Clippers got a

shot clock violation early in the second quarter. They had a couple of them in this game. One after a time out in the second half tells you how locked in they were defensively. Clippers now are still one of twelve from three early in the second quarter, up by one. It was brutal, but they stayed attacking. They didn't just settle it was a three or get something at the rim and look for those who are like just don't take them. You need them at some point. They don't

win this game without them. You do need them. Nolman Powell came in for DJ at the nine to seventeen mark of the second I thought DJ was really good with his minutes end of the first into the second quarter. His defense on Jamal Murray after he had twelve in the first quarter. That was the guy who really was carrying over that forty three point performance in Game five and stayed hot, got too many easy ones, got too easy looks to start the game. Didn't like seeing that

made me think, oh, he's gonna get comfortable. But at the end of the first quarter, DJ blocked him on a three pointer. I am telling you that was a great, great tone setter for how he was going to be playing him defensively. That threw Jamal Murray off right then because he only had nine points to last three quarters. It was first DJ and then Nico, but two months Jamaal. But the great thing about is they want to run that switch or they want to get the switch Jamal

or Jokic. Nico's comfortable guarding both of them. He's not perfect, He's gonna lose some battles, but he can guard both of them. Talk about guarding one through five. That's who Nico is and doing it against their two best players. He can guard their two best players. Clippers eventually after the Denver Nuggets, and this was the difference in the second quarter because Denver still stayed hot. But the problem

was they had eight turnovers in that second quarter. They had five turnovers during a stretch of six possessions in the second quarter, and the Clippers took care of the basketball. Harden had a great after their fifth turnover and sixth possessions over on Jokic to get to the rim. That's what I'm talking about. That's the aggressive James Harden. That was a bad man right there. Maybe Jokic looked silly defensively,

of course, Denver, they weren't going anywhere. Even when the Clippers being up forty three to thirty five, Jokic got some easy buckets when they were just throwing single coverage against him in the first half and specifically in that second quarter. I was okay with that, though I think it wore him out to some degree. I think it's the same thing they used to do to Doncic. Honestly, because Jokish ended up with fifteen points in that second quarter.

There was a lot of single coverage, but he still had to work for it. While he got some easy buckets, I still think overall they were taxing enough. He got a bucket over Kawhi to make it forty three thirty nine, Clippers up by four, Harden hits a big three pointer forty six thirty nine time out. Zuke came back in after the Clippers went small, and I think at one point. Yeah,

they ended up. So the Clippers are down heading in to the second quarter by three by the time of Eats the Zu Bots comes back into the ballgame meeting. The Clippers went small for a significant amount of time with Zuke coming back into the five fourteen mark. They almost went seven minutes small with Jokis out there some of the time, and the Clippers are now up by seven at forty six to thirty nine. By the time Big Zoo re enters the game. They went plus ten

in those small ball minutes. Coach Louke cooked. It worked. In fact, after that Russ hit a big three pointer, Jokic got a floater, zu gets a hook shot on Jokic. They're going back and forth. Now it's fifty three fifty after a Jokic layup. Jokic then gets a put back after a Murray miss thanks to Batoum. It was a great contest, and you could tell Murray was a little bit uncomfortable. You go from dj to now, but Toom guarding you with that length. But it was a one

point game at the end of the first half. Clippers were miserable from three Harden at twenty one points in the first half Kawhi at thirteen, but they're only up by one at fifty eight to fifty seven because Murray has twelve and Jokic had twenty points in the first half. I'll get to the third quarter coming up, but I do want to get to a phone call. Let's go to Sean in Inglewood. Sean, you on Clipper stop without a Masam.

you know. So I think that Norman's gonna be really, really, you know, on fire for Saturday. So I'm just excited about them, I do. I mean beginning to notice. I mean, let's say Norman.

the third quarter. We saw Niko Batouma out there, we knew we was starting, Chris Dunn was out. It's okay. Chris Dunn has absolutely been huge for them at times in this series. This whole idea of like, well, Chris Dunn was the problem. See, that's not true. As doctor Schapp said, he might have been the second best player for them in Game two. He was huge for them in Game two when they got that win. Obviously the main guy was Kawhi in that game. But Chris Dunn,

he has been a part of this. He has had his fingerprints on this. It's just an adjustment now for later in this series. And it makes a lot of sense. Of course, immediately, the Denver Nuggets a getting easy layup as there was nobody rotating on the back side with Christian Brown out there getting downhill. But Jokis picked up his third foul Norman Powell after that. Then, but Toom hits a three pointer in the third sixty one to fifty nine, Clippers Brown misses a three. Is Kawhi a

nice close out on the other end, Norm floater. Clippers up by four. Norm was doing work in this fourth quarter. Aaron Gordon misses a three, Kawhi hits one of his two to three pointers over Michael Porter Junior. Clippers up by seven. M PJ though responds with a three over Pal time out. It's sixty six to sixty two. Kawhi took. I thought it was a bad three pointer out of the timeout, but then Jokis gets blocked by Zoo. Kawhi would miss a layup in transition but was fouled on

the play. Clippers go up sixty eight to sixty two. Christian Brown hit some big shots. A three pointer at the end of the shot clock here, but then they called it a two pointer, so I believe it was sixty eight to sixty four. Originally a three foot was on the line. He would hit some threes later in this game. More on that coming up. Norm then took a rush three I felt like on the left wing and transition, but you could also say they were trying to get some quick points. Murray jumpers back to a

two point game in the third. Then Zoo gets stripped by MPG on a double team, but Michael Porter Junior missed a scoop layup, then on the other side an easy one. That happens when you have tired legs start missing some easy bunnies. Harden then misses a layup in transition, but they got it back and Norm went at Murray for a layup. Clippers back up by four. Harden then had a beautiful strip on Nikola Jokic to a Kawhi push shot over Christian Brown. Clippers up by six. Big

Zoo the defense on Jokic. He had a block on Joki trying to go across the lane, and that was the play where Kawhi got it to Norman Powell for that two handed dunk. Clippers now opening things up. They're up by eight at seventy four to sixty six timeout Denver, and out of that timeout the Clippers got a shot clock violation lock down defense. I think the ball ended up in the hands of Russ and the grenade exploded.

Kawhi then misses a fade away on the other end, and I don't know if this was the basketball gods finally giving the Clippers a break, but the ball bounced around awkwardly and ended up back in the hands of Kawhi somehow for a big right handed dunk. After that, Clippers are up by ten. Murray miss over Nico. The defense was there hard and then a tough layup going left, crossing the lane. Clippers are up by twelve. Norm then clamped believe it or not Aaron Gordon and caused a

turnover on the other end. Insane defense by Norman Powell. There Kawhi pass inside as I thought, this was a great feed from Kawhi to Zoo on what looked like in al yup. They said foul on the floor. Russ intentionally fouled him and ends up being a side out. Nico then misses from three, but there's a tip out by Zoo. It was beautiful to Norman Powell who drove and got the layup. Eighty sixty six. This is a Clippers twelve zero run and their last five may during

that run. We're all at the rim loved seeing it. Christian Brown would hit a three pointer to stop the run. Clippers still up by eleven. DJ in the short role attacked for a bucket that was aggressive. They gave him the space they were in drop he attacked. It's eighty two sixty nine, so Now the Clippers last six straight buckets are at the rim. As Kawhi came out at the four to seventeen mark of the third, Shrewd moved from Coach Lou said, okay, we're up. We're up by thirteen.

I can take him out. Kawhi stayed out, got him some valuable rest because you knew he'd be starting that fourth quarter. Clippers then have it at eighty two to seventy one, and Norm hits a three ball in the right corner put him back up by fourteen. Again, that was their largest lead at this point. Gordon has an up and under and it's eighty five seventy three. Then the DJ three in the right corner off a great quick bounce pass from Niko Batoum to give the Clippers

their new largest lead at fifteen. Christian Brown three pointer to answer that, hardened to zoo for a floater. Clippers back up fourteen. Jokish big three, wide open look. Didn't love seeing that. Hard misses a three pointer, but DJ block Murray from behind to end the third. Derek Jones Junior again suffocating defense on Jamal Murray. Clippers lead ninety to seventy nine after three they went plus ten in that third quarter. Denver hit four threes in the third.

Clippers hit four threes though, and that twelve zero run they had maybe the difference in the ballgame overall, or the biggest stretch for the Clippers, who went sixty two percent from the field, by the way in that third. To start the fourth, Kawhi bogey Norm DJ Harden, they're going small. They did have a couple of turnovers. As Harden was looking for DJ, Russ went the other way but missed the dunk inexplicably ere you know, it does happen with Russ sometimes, but Peyton Watson was there for

the put back, so it's a nine point game. Kawhi then stayed aggressive and hit a tough mid range shot at the free throw line. Clippers back up by eleven MPJ and one with a foul on DJ on the left block. It was kind of a tough call, but he would miss the free throw, Clippers up by nine. DJ then missed a double clutch layup on the other end. I thought he made it harder than it needed to be,

but there was some good defense there. Murray then missed to pull up on the right elbow over Derek Jones Jr. Harden missed on the right side, but then got the ball back for a putback on the left side. It was a great effort play follow your shot kids. James Harden crossed the lane after the miss. It was like a game of twenty one. Tippet missed it on the right side, put it up on the left side. Clippers back up by eleven. Then DJ has a steal on

a pass to rush underneath. It was a great defensive play. Kawhi to Dj on the other end. Three ball ninety seven to eighty three is the score. Murray layup Kawhi mid range, mid post, far side jumper. Fourteen point game again Murray three over Bogie. If it wasn't Dj Abratom, he wasn't scoring much in the second half, only had nine points in the second half. Kawhi then got blocked in a layup by Watson who was waiting for him. Bogee fouled Jamal in transition. I actually thought it was

a good foul. They were about to get an easy bucket. Jokichen Brown come back into the ballgame at the eight thirty six mark, but Toom then comes back in for Norm next to Bogie Harden and Kawhi. Russ missed a three out of an out of bounds play. It was last touched by Denver. Then as we guys were fighting for the basketball and Harden hits a three on the other side. Clippers are now up one two to eighty eight. Timeout Denver. Out of the timeout, Murray turnover as Nico

deflected it. What stellar defense Bogu would miss a three On the other end, Watson was short with a jumper on the left elbow the other way for Denver. Then Harden lost it, Kawhi picked it up, missed a three long. There was an outlet Russ to Watson, who missed and easy. The ball bounced around. Russ eventually got it for an easy basket to make it one two to ninety. Just a chaotic sequence. Bogee, big time three, big game Bogie put the Clippers up by fifteen. Murray missus a jumper Peyton,

Watson rebound and put back. Kawhi missus over Jokic. I didn't hate the shot though. It was a tough shot, short corner, near side, well contested, but it told me Kawhi was staying aggressive out there. Russ layup though in his eleven point game time out out of the timeout, Harden, Powell, DJ Kawhi, and batuomer out there, but two misses a

three on an open look generated from James Harden. Jamal looked a little bit hurting and grim is seeing bringing the ball up the floor after the rebound Jokic floater one oh five ninety six nine point game Coach lou then looked at the bench and said, Zoo, get up. He saw that floater from Jokic center urgency. Zoo, get ready, You're coming back in. He came in at the four to twelve mark for DJ Norm then attacks, gets fouled, puts the Clippers back up by eleven. After hitting both

free throws. Remember they missed ten free throws last game. Jokic has a miss, Aaron Gordon then goes up for it. Not this time a Vitza Zubots gets the miss on Jokic and then is Aaron Gordon is going up for the putback, Zuo blocks him. That was maybe the defensive play up the season to this point. Aaron Gordon has been getting those shots in and Zoo recovered after getting Jokic to miss to block Aaron Gordon, Harden would miss

a bank Shaw on the other end. Jokis then to Aaron Gordon for a three instan an eight point game. Uh oh. Norm then gets blocked by Aaron Gordon. Mury Jamal Murray run out on a Russ pass, a nice lead pass, and it's a six point game at one seven to one oh one, about three minutes left Denver. Now you can just see they're smelling blood. They're close enough where they could make a run and run their way right into the second round against Okac. They can

see the finish line. They looked hungry. Out of the time out, Hard misses a floater, Jokish to Russ, who smokes a layup, but Tom gets the rebound. Eventually, it was bouncing all over the place. Harden, though may have tipped it to him. Jokish I think thought he had it in. Harden was behind him and may have gotten the tip to Nico, Buttoom on the scramble for that basketball, then Norms stuck a great three off an extra pass off of beautiful exquisite ball movement one ten to one

oh one. Remember it was down to six before that time out by the Clippers. Huge, huge shot from Norman pal who was puffing his chest out looking at the crowd. Jokish then spins on Zoo, who blocks him twice. Gordon misses, Russ missues a three, but then Aaron Gordon gets a put back. Norm lost the ball being aggressive going to the rim. Russ's layup and but Toom blocks it, but there's a foul on Harden. With fifty eight point five seconds left, Christian Brown hits both free throws, five point

game one ten to one oh five. Clippers use their last time out as James Harden was trapped as he got the ball into the front court hardened turnover. Out of the timeout. Jokis eventually picked it up, but he missed a layup and the ball bounced around to Kawhi, who wisely probably could have had an opportunity for a lamp in transition. Jamal Murray was back there, but instead he brought it out and ran the clock. They intentionally foul him. They had a foul to give out of

the inbounds play. They foul Kawhi again. He goes one to two, but the Clippers go on to win one eleven to one oh five and force a Game seven back at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday. Tip off at four point thirty. Pre game at three point thirty. We'll take a quick time out. We'll come back more of your phone calls. I'm out of Maslin and you're listening to Clippers Talk live from Into It Home on AM five to seventy LA Sports.

seven is Saturday. I'm at a Moslin Welcome back into Clippers Talk. Let's go to Clipper Chris, who called in on Empire seventy Early Sports. Chris, what's up? Keep it about thirty seconds.

that Nico just swatted out of there. I mean that was that was defense with a capital D. That was awesome. I got to give U, you know, amendous amount of credit to coach Lou for you know, shaking things up in the second half and you know, putting Nico in the you know, quote unquot starters role. Uh. And you know I could it done without some of.

oh five victory. Tonight, hear it into its home and Coach Fleu finally his hand was forced to unlock the secret weapon that would be Nico buttoom I'm out of Maslin. Final segment coming up. You're listening to the Los Angeles Clippers Audio Network at a five seventy LA Sports.

have it? Do they have a sense of urgency? I talked to a few people pregame that felt like, I don't know, Clippers could get run out of the building. This is scary. Well, we knew coming into this one. They were a minus twenty three in the first five games, in the first five minutes total in this series. They were much better to start off this ball game. Finally, they came out with a sense of urgency in the first quarter, and I gotta say it was a great

team effort. Early on. They were moving the basketball and while they were missing three pointers, I didn't mind the offense. For instance, you guys who want to hate on Chris Dunn in this one, he got the Clippers their first bucket, Show him some love. Then Zoo got a bucket, then Norman Powell, James Harden. They're up eight to four. Let's see where they were five minutes into this ball game. They led by one at ten to nine five minutes in.

That had been the problem for this team starting games slowly. This time, they were plus one the first five minutes. You can't keep playing from behind against this Denver Nuggets team. Tonight they didn't. Makes all the different is everything for this ball club? Was really happy with the response. I thought they would win this game. I didn't know in what manner this looked like Clippers basketball. To me, this looked like the Clippers defense we had seen all season long.

And offensively, Norman Powell, who people saying, oh, you can't play next to Kawhi. He had twenty four on fifteen shots. Kawhi still got his twenty seven eleven of twenty two. James Hardin ten of twenty twenty eight points, twenty one of which came in the first half. It was a balanced attack. You had at least a big three in this one. Although I'll throw Big Zoo in there's a big four because this defense was so damn good. I'm gonna leave Big Zoo out like that. Nikola Jokic's postgame said,

this is the best series of the first round. Quote. If you like basketball, like a real fan, not a fake fan of basketball, these are the games you should watch. Coach lew said that James Harden, who played the final thirty six minutes tonight, the final thirty six minutes, what a warrior. They only missed I think eighty five seconds of this ballgame. James Harden, He's been doing it all season long, by the way, incredible though, played the final

thirty six minutes to night forty seven minutes. Overall. He was pretty gassed down the stretch, Coach Lou said, as you would expect to, which he said, that's why he took quote a couple of timeouts to try to save him for the end. I thought it was a master for performance from coach Lou with the timeouts and rotations. By the way, he also called a Visa Zubots a monster on the defensive end tonight for his work against

Niko Jokic. He's not lying, Coach lu said, also quote, it's about being a team, whatever it takes to win. Just want to say thank you to them, Chris Dunn and Ben Simmons for staying engaged despite not playing in the second half second straight game. Ben Simmons hasn't played in the same and half after you had a rough first half in Game five, but he's been good at times in this series. They have won a lot of his minutes against Jokic. This was the first game where

Chris Dunn didn't play in the second half. They got buy in. They got guys who are willing to do what it takes. Hey, it may not always be your night. Those minutes might not be there for you. That's okay. Stay ready been a model for a long time. James Harden postgame about playing big minutes, quote, got to half to half to It is what it is. It's part of it. Whatever the team needs, if it's forty seven, forty eight minutes over time, whatever, I'm gonna do it.

Niko Batomb said postgame, it's game seven, it's zero zero, it's do or die for the team. Go out there and fight. That's it. Are you a hype yet for Saturday? Kawhi Leonard postgame said quote, I'm enjoying every game I've been on the sidelines of the last couple years in the playoffs, so I don't take it for granted. I just try to cherish every moment and thank God that I'm able to play. We all think in God, the Kawhi Leonard's able to play just a steady force in

this ball game. He didn't have, you know, a quarter, a crazy explosion quarter in this game.

DJ just eighteen. We'll see if they're just running eight guys or seven in game seven. If Nico starts over Chris Dunn, that's the adjustment I was waiting for. Finally happened. It's try to tell y'all, this was theas and the whole all season long. When things get dire, that's the guy that coach Lou's gonna look to. Hey, if we're going out, we're going out swinging with Nico. Clippers force a Game seven after a one to eleven, one to oh five victory here in game six, it into it

Clipper Nation. Patch yourself on the back. You guys showed up in a big way tonight. You help fuel this victory before we get out of here. I do want to thank the Clippers organization. Ralph Lawler, Brian Seaman, Noah Eagle, Carlo Jimenez on the call, Daniel West our producer back in the bank, big brother Jake or not here, but Dee Bart stepped up in a big way. He's five and zero, by the way, when he's our engineer here at the Dome, a good luck charm, you could say.

I'll have to take him with us at Denver. I'll talk to you guys soon, little Clippers stock up dark later we'll see I'm out of Moslin at worst. Talk to you three point thirty pregame Game seven in Denver. Best two words in sports.