But the three-time NBA MVP and his Denver Nuggets teammates were the last men standing Saturday night. They outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers in a spirited and physical first-round tilt with a 120-101 Game 7 victory in front of a Ball Arena crowd that was dealing with painful memories from last year and unexpected interlopers from Southern California.

Denver used a balanced scoring attack to throttle LA, which couldn't get anything going in Game 7. The Nuggets and Thunder meet Monday in Game 1.

Denver steadily pulls away in the second half, leading by as many as 35 points, in sending the Clippers home with an embarrassing loss.