The 2025 NBA Western Conference playoffs will be one for the books, which is saying a lot for a conference that rarely fails to deliver on drama. And the first-round matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers has promise of being the best of the best.

While Nikola Jokić is the best player in this series, the Clippers have proven they can play at an elite level on both ends.

That’s what the LA Clippers needed to win only their second nationally televised game of the season. Poise and pressure tend to go together. In the 1997 movie “The Devil’s Advocate,” Al Pacino’s character states,