Overview

• The Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets both finished the regular season with identical 50-32 records, setting up a closely matched first-round playoff series.
• The Clippers secured the fifth seed with a strong finish, winning eight of their last ten games, while the fourth-seeded Nuggets dealt with internal disruptions late in the season.
• Denver dismissed head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth just before the playoffs, promoting assistant coach David Adelman to lead the team through the postseason.
• Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue emphasized respect for Malone by refusing to seek tactical advice from the recently fired coach, despite Malone’s championship pedigree.
• Key players James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are in strong form, with Harden extending his playoff streak to 16 consecutive seasons and Leonard reportedly in excellent mental and physical condition.