Nuggets advance to the second round in one month, Grizzlies swept 0-4 in the first round

On May 4, 2025, the Nuggets defeated the Clippers 120-101 at home, and advanced to the Western Conference semi-finals 4-3 in the series. This victory not only ended the Clippers' dream of winning, but also allowed interim coach David Adelman to create history.

He surpassed the regular season three wins with four playoff games, becoming the first head coach in the NBA to win more games in the playoffs than regular season.

Adelman's coaching trajectory can be called "delegated in danger" textbook:

Before the start of this season's playoffs, the Nuggets and the Grizzlies both experienced coach changes, but the endings were very different:

This comparison exposed the gap in management decision-making: the Nuggets dared to bet on the assistant coaching system, while the Grizzlies blindly changed coaches led to a collapse.

Adelman's triple killer move:

Defensive targeting: limit Leonard's catch route and suppress his series shooting percentage to 43.7% (49.2% in the regular season) 27.

In contrast, Tyron Lue's "consumption of Jokic" strategy failed, Harden and Leonard's total shooting percentage in the last quarter was only 33%, and the core fatigue was fully demonstrated.

From the Grizzlies' defeat to the Nuggets' counterattack, this round of series reveals the core of the NBA coaching game: tactical adaptation is more important than fame. Adelman spent a month proving that the assistant coach who is well versed in the team's culture may be more suitable for teams in the championship window than the big-name airborne brand.