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Nuggets and Clippers Set for Highly Anticipated Playoff Series Opener

Denver hosts Los Angeles in Game 1 on April 19 as Jokic and Murray face Leonard and Harden in a battle of evenly matched teams.

Kawhi Leonard, left, and the fifth-seeded Clippers are set to tangle with Nikola Jokic, right, and the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets in a best-of-seven first-round playoff series that begins Saturday afternoon in Denver. (Photos by The Associated Press)
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Overview

  • The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers, both 50-32, meet in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs after splitting their regular-season series.
  • Denver enters the series on a three-game winning streak under interim coach David Adelman, following the firing of Mike Malone late in the season.
  • The Clippers, bolstered by Kawhi Leonard's return, closed the season with 18 wins in their final 21 games, including an eight-game winning streak.
  • Key matchups include Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for Denver against Kawhi Leonard and James Harden for Los Angeles, with analysts highlighting the Clippers' depth advantage.
  • BetMGM odds slightly favor the Clippers (-125) over the Nuggets (+105) in a series expected to be closely contested and potentially extend to seven games.