LOS ANGELES — The Denver Nuggets can not only improve their playoff chances Saturday at Staples Center
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The Nuggets will take a four-game winning streak into Los Angeles, as the recent run of success has put them on the doorstep of playoff eligibility. They have a 44-35 record, leaving them a half-game behind eighth-place Minnesota, which beat the Lakers Friday night and holds the final playoff spot in the Western Conference at the moment.
Denver does not hold the tie-breaker against the Timberwolves, but the ninth-place Nuggets are only one game behind three teams tied for fifth.
Denver and Minnesota will meet once more, in Minnesota on Wednesday, to conclude the regular season, with the Timberwolves holding a 2-1 advantage in head-to-head games this season if it comes down to that tiebreaker.
A Denver victory Saturday over a Clippers team that has lost three of its last four games would put significant pressure on a Minnesota squad that lost to the Nuggets on Thursday, 100-96.
The Nuggets essentially have been in payoff mode for a week now and have responded with clutch victories. All four victories in their win streak have been by four points or less, with two of them coming in overtime. All have come since March 30.
“We’re not folding
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For the Clippers, they know that a loss Saturday will end their playoff chase. Their hopes were pushed to the brink on Friday night without even playing, as the Pelicans defeated the Suns, while the Timberwolves also won.
The Clippers’ chances were put on high alert after they were trounced at Utah on Thursday. Los Angeles is in 10th place in the Western Conference, 2 1/2 games behind Minnesota, with three games to play.
Against Utah on Thursday, the Clippers were never in the game and lost by 22 points. And that was a game in which players knew that a defeat would virtually crush any playoff hopes.
“It was the first game I thought we let go of the rope,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Like
http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kendall-wright-jersey , you could see it early. It was disappointing. It happens. It’s life. We have to get over it. I have to watch the film. That was disappointing tonight.”
During a season in which the Clippers were devastated by injuries and watched All-Star Blake Griffin get traded to the Detroit Pistons, Rivers should get credit for even getting his team this far.
The Clippers are expected to finish the season with four point guards on injured reserve: Patrick Beverley (knee), Avery Bradley (groin), Milos Teodosic (foot) and Jawun Evans (sports hernia). Forward Danilo Gallinari (hand) is day-to-day. Rivers has used 35 different starting lineups.
“It’s been tough,” Rivers said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Game to game, because of the injuries, because of the guys we have left, you don’t have the luxury of saying, ‘This is your lineup every night.'”
The Nuggets’ recent success has come despite second-leading scorer Gary Harris (knee) missing the last 10 games. He remains day-to-day. Forward Tyler Lydon (ankle) has been out since January.
The Latest from Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights (all times local):
8:05 p.m.
The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup championship
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Lars Eller scored with 7:37 left, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead and they hung on after Vegas pulled goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for the extra skater.
It is the first championship for the Capitals, who began play in 1974.
The Golden Knights wrap up a storybook year, advancing all the way to the final in their first year of existence.
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7:50 p.m.
Washington has moved a big step toward its first Stanley Cup.
Lars Eller scored with 7:37 left, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Washington went into the third trailing 3-2 and went ahead after Devante Smith-Pelly and Eller scored 2:31 apart midway through the final period.
The Capitals are up 3-1 in the series, a win away from their first NHL championship in franchise history.
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7:45 p.m.
Devante Smith-Pelly has pulled Washington into a 3-3 tie with Vegas midway through the third period in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Brooks Orpik sent the puck toward the net, it went off Smith-Pelly’s left skate to help him corral it and he sent a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury as he fell to the ice.
Smith-Pelly has seven goals this postseason, matching his total during the regular seasons. He was relegated to signing a two-way contract with the Capitals entering the season and earned a spot in the lineup 75 times during the regular season. He scored in Game 4, too, also collecting the puck off a skate before his shot.
Washington has a 3-1 series lead and is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If Vegas holds on
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7:25 p.m.
The Vegas Golden Knights are 10-0 this postseason when leading after two periods, as they do 3-2 against Washington in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Capitals have lost four of the six games they’ve played this postseason when trailing after the second period.
Washington has a 3-1 series lead and is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If Vegas holds on, Game 6 in Washington will be Sunday night.
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7:05 p.m.
The Vegas Golden Knights are 20 minutes away from forcing Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas leads Washington 3-2 going into the third period after the two teams combined for five goals in a wild second period. There were lead changes, a coach’s challenge, fights and power plays as the teams picked up the pace following a goal-less opening period.
Reilly Smith gave Vegas the lead, shooting into an open net off a fantastic pass from Alex Tuch with 28.2 seconds left in the second period.
The Golden Knights didn’t get to celebrate very long because there was a lot of pushing, shoving and face-washing behind the net right after the go-ahead goal.
Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 18 shots through two periods and Braden Holtby made 17 saves for the Capitals.
A win would give the Capitals the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The expansion Golden Knights are hoping to extend their stunning, record-breaking season.
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6:50 p.m.
Washington and Vegas are tied 2-2 late in a wild second period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
After no goals in the opening period, the offenses got rolling and then some with four goals in a heart-pounding 6:32 stretch.
Washington’s Jakub Vrana opened the flurry with a goal 6:24 into the second, rifling a shot over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury.
Alex Ovechkin put the Capitals ahead 2-1 on a power play just 34 seconds after Vegas’ Nate Schmidt was credited with a goal that went off Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen’s skate.
David Perron pulled Vegas into the second tie of the period. The goal stood after a coach’s challenge
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Washington has a 3-1 series lead, one win away from the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
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6:25 p.m.
Washington has taken a 1-0 lead in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Vegas.
Jakub Vrana got behind the Golden Knights’ defense and took advantage of the time and space, scoring from the inside of the left circle 6:24 into the second period. He beat Marc-Andre Fleury on his glove side, sending the puck over his left elbow and into the net.
The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 seasons.
The Golden Knights have scored only five goals in losing the last three games and are having trouble finding much space again against the Washington defense and goaltender Braden Holtby.
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6:05 p.m.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is defending the expansion draft that loaded first-year franchise Vegas with talent.
The Golden Knights were the surprise of the NHL this season, winning the Pacific Division and rolling all the way to the Stanley Cup Final against Washington. Critics have suggested the expansion draft was too generous for the new franchise, which saw strong play from veterans including goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal and others.
Bettman was asked about it during an NBC interview during the first intermission of Game 5 and said the league’s ”competitive balance shows anything is possible.” He noted the turnaround seasons this year by Colorado and New Jerse.