Clippers have meltdown for the ages in playoff series loss to Nuggets

The Los Angeles Clippers went out in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinals series against the Denver Nuggets the same way they went in the series: pathetically.

A team viewed by many as a championship contender, the Clippers took a 3-1 series lead against Denver before losing the next three games to get sent home early from Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The Clippers lost Game 5 by six points, Game 6 by 13 points, and Game 7 by 15 points. They got progressively worse in every game. They matched the series collapse with a pathetic showing in the final quarter of Game 7.

The Clippers scored just 15 points in the final quarter — their lowest mark for a quarter during the game.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George barely showed up. Leonard was 6-for-22 shooting with just 14 points. Paul George shot 4-for-16 for 10 points. Marcus Morris was 2-for-9, and Lou Williams was 3-for-11. The team could not bury a shot to save their lives.

Many of the team’s fans saw this coming after the bad showings in Games 5 and 6. There was some hope they would shake off the poor performances and bounce back in Game 7. The Clippers took a two-point lead into halftime, and all looked good. But then the Nuggets dusted them in the second half.

The Clippers need to take a hard look at themselves to figure out what went wrong. They built a dream roster and went out with a whimper. They also only have Leonard under contract for one more year, and they have nothing but disappointment to show for his first season.