Doc Rivers takes blame for Clippers blowing 3-1 series lead vs. Nuggets

The Los Angeles Clippers entered the NBA's Walt Disney World bubble as a title favorite. They're now exiting Orlando after blowing a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets. 

After becoming just the 13th team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead and lose a playoff series after falling to the Nuggets 104-89 on Tuesday, head coach Doc Rivers is taking the blame for his team's defeat. 

"We didn't meet them," Rivers said of his team's expectations, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "That's the bottom line. I'm the coach, and I'll take any blame for it. But we didn't meet our expectations, clearly, because if we had, in my opinion, we'd still be playing."

Los Angeles lost double-digit leads in each of the past three games as they extend their Western Conference finals drought to 50 years. Rivers, meanwhile, became the only coach in NBA history to lose a 3-1 series lead in three playoff series, having also done so with the Clippers in 2015 and the Orlando Magic in 2003. 

The blame can't be solely placed on Rivers, though. In the biggest game of the 2019-20 campaign, both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were nearly invisible. The star-studded duo combined to shoot 10-for-38, including 4-for-18 from three-point range, for a total of 24 points in Game 7. Neither player scored in the fourth quarter.

Leonard, George and the Clippers can place some of the blame on a lack of chemistry. L.A. failed to mesh throughout the season as Leonard and George, among others, dealt with injuries. Once they began to get rolling during the regular season, the coronavirus pandemic halted any progress they made. 

The chemistry issues boiled over into the Orlando bubble, too. Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harell all exited the bubble to attend funerals for loved ones. When they arrived back in Orlando, they had to miss even more time away from their teammates due to quarantine restrictions put in place by the NBA. 

Much like the Milwaukee Bucks, the Clippers now are riddled with questions about how to move forward following their disappointing playoff loss. While the Bucks said they're willing to spend to build around reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Clippers could take a similar approach in building around Leonard and George ... but only time will tell.