NBA DFS Picks for the Playoffs: Clippers vs Nuggets – Game 5

The Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets match up in Game 5 of their Western Conference playoff series tonight at the Ball Arena in Denver. The Clippers thought they would be up 3-1 heading into Game 5, but Denver’s Aaron Gordon had other plans as he dunked in a Nikola Jokic shot milliseconds after the clock hit zero to steal Game 4 for the Nuggets. This series has been electric, and a pivotal Game 5, with the series tied at two games apiece, will undoubtedly be must-watch television.

Let’s dive into this Game 5 matchup while recapping Game 4 and making a pick for tonight.

Clippers vs Nuggets Game 4 Recap

Game 4 was yet another feast for basketball fans as the Clippers and Nuggets added to one of the best first-round series in recent memory. The Nuggets stole Game 4 on Aaron Gordon’s last-second dunk of a Nikola Jokic shot, but it really shouldn’t have come down to that. The Clippers were down 22 points with 11:22 left in the fourth quarter and then clawed their way back thanks to a sterling defensive fourth quarter that held Denver to just 16 points.

The Nuggets only got four total bench points as the heavy lifting was on all five starters, who played at least 42 minutes. No surprise that Jokic was the engine and facilitator of the offense, with a game-high 36 points and 21 rebounds, plus a team-high 8 assists. The other four starters chipped in with double-digit scoring but on just 40% (19-of-47) from the field.

Neither team shot particularly well in Game 4, but the Clippers made some clutch plays to get back into the game with a 32-9 run, and then Ivica Zubac put back a missed drive by James Harden to tie the game before Gordon’s game-winner. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting, and Norman Powell recorded 22 points, with 9 coming from behind the arc during the Clippers’ fourth-quarter rally.

Clippers vs Nuggets Game 5 DFS Picks

For the Clippers, it’s incredibly tough to claw all that way back from down 22 just to lose the game on a buzzer-beating dunk. Those are the moments that deflate and emotionally drain a team. How Los Angeles comes out in Game 5 will be the key for the Clippers, but it will no doubt find a way to come down to the wire, like with Game 4 or a clutch three and outstanding inbounds defense in overtime from Russell Westbrook in Game 1. If we were going to go with anybody on the Clippers, it’s Ivica Zubac, who has been incredibly consistent as a double-double machine this season.

For DFS, it’s difficult not to trust old reliable Nikola Jokic. He’s averaged 28.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 10.8 assists in this series against the Clippers, so in a Game 5 at home in the most important game of the series, the Nuggets will ride their star. They’ve got some big contributions from Gordon, Westbrook, a banged-up Michael Porter Jr., as well as Jamal Murray and Christian Braun in this series, but Jokic is the engine of this team, and as he goes, so do the Nuggets.

I’ll be taking the combo of points, rebounds and assists for Jokic tonight as he’s a stat-sheet stuffer whenever he’s on the court, and if we’re able to predict anybody on the court, it’s the Nuggets big man.

Our Pick: Nikola Jokic to Record 52+ Points + Rebounds + Assists