play

Denver Nuggets fire Coach and GM just before the NBA playoffs

For The Hoops crew debates whether the Denver Nuggets are in panic mode ahead the playoffs after firing head coach Mike Malone and GM Calvin Booth.

The Denver Nuggets, the 4th seed, will face the 5th seed Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.Games 1 and 2 will be held in Denver, while Games 3 and 4 will be in Los Angeles.

The Denver Nuggets are back in the NBA playoffs for the seventh straight season.

Denver is the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference for the 2025 NBA playoffs and matches up against the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in a best-of-seven first-round series.

The Nuggets enter the playoffs with some turmoil, firing head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth on April 8 and making David Adelman the interim head coach.

Here’s a look at what to know for the Clippers-Nuggets series:

When do the Nuggets play? Schedule, TV channels for Nuggets-Clippers series

Here is the schedule for the best-of-seven series between Denver and Los Angeles (all times Mountain), including TV channel and game times.

Game 1: Denver Nuggets 112, Los Angeles Clippers 110 (OT) (DEN leads series 1-0)Game 2: Los Angeles Clippers 105, Denver Nuggets 102 (Series tied 1-1)Game 3: Los Angeles Clippers 117, Denver Nuggets 83 (LAC leads series 2-1)Game 4: Denver Nuggets 101, Los Angeles Clippers 99 (Series tied 2-2)Game 5: Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets, TNT (April 29, 8 p.m.)Game 6: Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers, TNT (May 1, Time TBA)Game 7 (if necessary): Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets, TV channel TBD (May 3, Time TBA)How to watch Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers, TV and live stream information

Here is where ESPN can be found in Colorado:

Dish Network: Ch. 140Xfinity: 27 in Northern Colorado, 34 in Denver metro (standard), 668 (HD), 1205 and 21600 (4K)DirecTV: 206Fort Collins Connexion: 50

Here are channel listings for TNT in Colorado:

Dish: 138Xfinity: 29 in Northern Colorado, 40 in Denver metro (standard), 667 (HD), 1404 and 27100 (4K)DirecTV: 245Fort Collins Connexion: 194

Here are the channel listings for NBA TV in Colorado:

Dish: 156Xfinity: 416 and 439 (standard), 843 and 1218 (HD)DirecTV: 216Fort Collins Connexion: Not available

For streaming: ESPN/TNT/NBA TV are also available on most of the following platforms: YouTube TV, Max, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and more.

Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Clippers playoff history

The Nuggets and Clippers have only met in two postseason series.

Denver won the 2020 Western Conference semifinals in the NBA’s “bubble” during the COVID-19 pandemic, winning the final three games to erase Los Angeles’ 3-1 lead in a 4-3 series win.

The Clippers won a 2006 first-round matchup with a 4-1 series win over Denver.

The Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Championship. The Clippers have never won an NBA or conference title.

Star watch: Nikola Jokic, Kawhi Leonard highlight Nuggets-Clippers series

It’s a matchup of champions, as the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard have combined for three NBA Finals MVPs, three NBA championships, 13 All-Star selections and 12 All-NBA team appearances.

Here are their stats from the 2024-25 NBA regular season:

Nikola Jokic: 29.6 points per game, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 57.6% shooting, 41.7% 3-point shootingKawhi Leonard: 21.5 points per game, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 41.1% 3-point shootingGame, series betting lines for Nuggets-Clippers

The Clippers are favored by 1.5 points on the road in a pivotal Game 5, according to Bet MGM.

Despite Denver’s Game 4 win, the Clippers remain the overall betting favorite for the series, with -165 odds to take the series. The Nuggets are still only +140.

Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.