As the 2019-2020 season kicked off last fall, the idea that the Los Angeles Clippers would fail to reach the Western Conference Finals was fairly difficult to imagine. Fresh off of a huge offseason that included the acquisitions of both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers were finally vaulted into contender status alongside another Staples Center tenant, and it appeared like the road to the NBA Finals would indeed run through Los Angeles.
That last part may still technically be true, but after the Denver Nuggets rallied from another 3-1 deficit to defeat the Clippers in Game 7 on Tuesday night, we now have a little more clarity about which LA team is still on that proverbial road.