The Clippers went from losing 16 points to winning 6 points! You may not find out: Someone played for 13 more minutes

On May 2, 2025, the Clippers ushered in the first round of G6 battle with the Nuggets at home. In the G5 game, the Clippers lost to the Nuggets away. They were behind the game and finally lost 16 points, and were 2-3 behind in the series. Today's game is a back-to-earth battle for the Clippers, and if they lose, they will be eliminated. In the first quarter, the Nuggets had the upper hand, once led by 7 points, after the first quarter, the Clippers had the upper hand, after the second quarter, the Clippers overtook 1 point after the first quarter, and the Clippers had the upper hand, and the Clippers had a clear advantage in the third quarter, winning 10 points in a single quarter, and the Clippers opened the gap to 15 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Nuggets once chased the gap to 5 points but were unable to make up for the day. In the end, the Clippers defeated the Nuggets 111-105, dragging the series into the tiebreak battle.

Clippers G5 lost to the Nuggets 16 points, and G6 beat the Nuggets 6 points. How did the Clippers rebound strongly? There are several reasons. One is that Harden and Powell, who performed poorly in G5, both performed well in G6. Harden scored 11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in 3 of 9 G5 games. He scored 10 of 20 shots in G6. He scored 28 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Powell scored 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in G5, and 9 of him scored 24 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals in G6.

In addition to the strong rebound of Harden and Powell, there is another very critical reason, that is, the Clippers reused Batum in the G6 battle. Batum played 34 minutes and 22 seconds in the G6 battle, 13 minutes more than the G5 battle, and he played the role of turning the game trend. In the first half of G6, the Nuggets' strategy of shorting Dunn and double-teaming others was very successful. Dunn scored 2 points in 1 of 4 shots, with a plus-minus value of -5. He failed to punish the Nuggets' shorting, and the Nuggets were able to hold on to the score.

G6 In the second half, the Clippers directly replaced Dunn with Batum to start, and Batum spent time full. He played for 20 minutes and 36 seconds in the entire second half. Batum has a high level of three-pointers, and the Nuggets dare not let him go. With Batum present, the Nuggets dare not easily double-team Harden, Leonard, and Powell, and the Clippers' offensive efficiency has been improved. In addition, Batum's defense is very strong, and he can defend from No. 1 to No. 5. The Clippers can feel at ease to reduce Zubac's playing time and let Batum serve as the center of the small lineup. In this way, the Nuggets' G5 game made Murray's tactic of naming Zubac's name was also cracked. Murray's power was greatly reduced. Murray's 26 shots in the G5 game (8 of 14 shots) and scored 43 points. Murray made 9 of 19 shots in this game (2 of 6 shots) and only scored 21 points. In addition to the above functions, Batum also has excellent passing ability. When his teammates make a chance, he can send a wonderful pass, and he gave 6 assists in this game. Batum made 2 of 5 shots (all three-pointers) in G6 scored 6 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks, which played a huge role in both offense and defense. It was the hero of the Clippers' ability to win the G6.

G7 will come to the Nuggets' home court, and the Clippers will likely continue to reuse Batum. Can the 36-year-old Batum become a surprise at that time? Let's wait and see.