Felicia Enriquez, aka Mynt J, is the host of the podcast BlackLove and Basketball – Compton Edition. She is a Clippers fan, an NBA credentialed creator representing thePeachBasket. In this article, Dome Sweet Dome: Can Clipper Rally at home for Game 6 Redemption?, she recaps the journey as the Clippers prepare for a pivotal game 6 in Los Angeles!

When the Stats Speak: Clippers Down But Not Defeated

Let’s talk about it.

The Clippers dropped Games 4 and 5—one at home, one in Denver—and with it, they lost the cushion. Now down 3–2 in the series, fans are frustrated (totally valid), but let’s not confuse frustration with failure. There’s still fight left—and still a shot to flip the narrative. Both losses felt familiar: Denver came out faster, hungrier, and more prepared. Meanwhile, LA let them dictate the tempo—again.

Game 4: Hope, Heartbreak, and a Tip-In

April 26, 2025 | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
Back at the Dome, the Clippers had a shot. They fought. And they came up just short—101-99

Mental Game: When the Fight Isn’t Just on the Floor
Game 4 got chippy. A scuffle broke out between Aaron Gordon and James Harden—and Michael Porter Jr. ran onto the court during the altercation, an automatic violation by NBA rules. No suspension. No accountability. Just vibes if you’re wearing navy and gold. It’s something about those teams in gold—they get passes to do what they want. But you didn’t hear that from me.

And while the fans fumed, the players felt it. The energy shifted. The mental focus cracked. Now? The burden of proof is on the Clippers to rise above it all. If the refs won’t call it fair, we’ve got to play smarter. Prepare harder. Stay laser focused. Kawhi’s calm, calculated regimen should be our blueprint—because this team can’t afford another meltdown.

Nikola Jokic? A certified problem. He dropped 36 points, 21 rebounds, and 8 assists, dominating every inch of the court. It wasn’t a triple-double, but the impact was surgical—boards, buckets, and dimes. The Nuggets used a 17-8 third quarter run to break open a tight game (85-65). LA’s comeback was fierce—a 32-11 burst in the final frame, clawing all the way back to take a 97-96 lead with just over a minute left.

• Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points and 9 rebounds.
• Norm Powell added 22, including 15 in the second half.
• Ivica Zubac posted 19 points and 12 rebounds.
• James Harden flirted with 15 points and 11 assists—his playmaking side shining, though the scoring aggression felt light.

But the difference wasn’t just the comeback effort, it was execution and details:

• Free throws: both teams 11-of-16
• Field goals: LAC 39-of-88 (44.3%) | DEN 40-of-87 (46%)
• 3PT: LAC 10-of-30 (33.3%) | DEN 10-of-29 (34.5%)
• Rebounds: DEN 47 | LAC 43
• Turnovers: LAC 10 | DEN 14

The final play: after Jokic’s fadeaway, Zubac tied it at 99 with a tip-in. But on the last possession, Aaron Gordon slipped behind our defense for a putback dunk, stealing a game the Clippers nearly stole back. Gut punch, yes—but not the knockout. If Gordon had been ejected in  that dunk might’ve never happened… hypothetically speaking.

Game 5: Burned by the Altitude—and the Murray Fryer

Ball Arena, May 2025 | Denver, CO
Final score: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115

Denver set the tone early, racing to a 35-23 first-quarter lead behind 10 points from Jamal Murray. LA kept it somewhat close at the half (67-59), but by the third quarter’s end, Denver led 80-63. An 8-0 run late in Q4 sealed the deal.

• Jamal Murray? Unstoppable: 43 points on 17-of-26 shooting (8-of-14 from deep). “We just played hard, played fast, and with confidence… Everybody did their job,” he said.
• Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double: 13 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds.

On our side:

• Ivica Zubac erupted for 27 points (11-15 FG) and 6 rebounds.
• Kawhi Leonard added 20 points, 9 rebounds, and a playoff-career-high 11 assists.
• Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped 18 points.
• Kris Dunn dropped 15 points and some dop defense, but he cant be everywhere.

And yes, when Harden finishes with just 11 points and 6 assists, the engine sputters—and everyone tries to play hero ball.

Afterward, Coach Ty Lue laid it out:

“I think Denver made their mind up that they’re going to try to take him out of the series after the first two or three games… I just have to do a better job of finding ways to get him open, to get him space. Probably more isos because they’re blitzing him so much to try to get him to his spots.”

When you neutralize Harden’s aggression, you freeze the offense.

Team Stats Recap (Game 5):

• FG%: LAC 52.4% (43-82) | DEN 55.8% (48-86)
• 3PT%: LAC 37.9% (11-29) | DEN 51.5% (17-33)
• FT: LAC 18-28 | DEN 18-23
• Reb: 38 each
• Ast: 29 each

Kawhi summed it up:

“We just weren’t able to defend. If we want to keep going, everyone has to contribute.”

What Now? Game 6. Dome Time.

Remember back in 2021, we were down 3–2 against the Mavericks—and WON. We can do it again. We’ve erased 22-point deficits, outscored Denver by 34, and shown what true grit looks like. We have players on the bench ready. Amir, Kobe and Miller just to name a few that could make an impact on our defense. Coach just give them a chance, at this point what could it hurt?

Dome Sweet Dome: Our dome, Our moment. Game 6 is ours.

Pack those seats. Crank up the noise. Let’s remind Denver that when the stats speak loud, our heart roars louder. They might try to slow us down on the scoreboard, but they can’t silence this crowd. So lace up your jerseys, grab your foam fingers, and let’s finish the job—because the fight in this team? It’s just getting started.

So don’t lose faith now. Game 6 is in our house.
Our dome.
Our moment.

If stats speak loud, our heart speaks louder.
And the fight in this team? It’s not done yet.