Shaq feels confident about Nuggets advancing to Western Conference Finals
By John Buhler
Shaquille O’Neal likes the Denver Nuggets to win Game 7 on Tuesday night.
Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t think the Los Angeles Clippers will beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 7.
The plucky Nuggets have already overcome one 3-1 best-of-seven series deficit this postseason, as they needed a Mike Conley miss from three at the buzzer to hold off the division rival Utah Jazz.
Despite going up against the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, Shaq feels all the pressure is on the Clippers in this win-or-go-home matchup in the Orlando NBA bubble on Tuesday night.
Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t trust Paul George to be Playoff P vs. the Nuggets.
“I like Denver and let me tell you why,” said Shaq to FanSided‘s Mark Carman on behalf of American Express and the newly formed Coalition to Back Black Businesses. “When you got someone down 3-1 and they come up to Game 7, the pressure is on you. And I hate to say it, but Playoff P ain’t been Playoff P.”
“And he’s the wild card. So if he has a great game and goes off, the Clippers will win, but if he has one of those ‘dark spaces’ games…You know, Kawhi can’t do it by himself. They don’t really have shooters. They beat you up on defense.”
Though Denver doesn’t have a robust playoff history either, the Clippers have never been to a Western Conference Finals before in franchise history, dating back to their days as the Buffalo Braves.
While the Nuggets have been to a Western Conference Finals before, they haven’t played for a league championship since they lost to the New York Nets in the 1976 ABA Finals.
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So we’re in largely untrodden territory for both NBA franchises on Tuesday night in the Orlando NBA bubble. While getting to a Western Conference Finals would be a big deal for both clubs, Shaq doesn’t think either team has a shot over the Los Angeles Lakers in a best-of-seven. He has two of his former teams playing in the NBA Finals in the Lakers and the Miami Heat out of the East.
Shaq understands pressure is a real thing, and it’s entirely on the Clippers in Game 7 on Tuesday.
Shaquille O’Neal spoke with FanSided on behalf of American Express and the Coalition to Back Black Businesses.