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Clippers vs Nuggets Recap: Clips Snag Gritty 102-100 Win
It was not pretty, but the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard were just able to edge out Jokic and the Nuggets, 102-100, in a massive win.
Summary
The first quarter started about as poorly as possible, with the PJ Tucker starting unit have zero spacing on offense. The Nuggets crowded Harden, forcing him and other Clippers into tough shots, and ran the other way for easy transition buckets. By the halfway mark, when Norm and Russ checked in, it was 18-6 Denver. The bench was able to get going on offense, powered by PG and Norm, but the Nuggets’ offense did not slow, and Denver led 31-20 after one.
The second quarter was a different story. The Russ-Harden-Norm-Amir-Mason unit owned the Nuggets’ bench squad, forcing mistakes and running in transition down the Nuggets neck for a change of pace. A quick 8-0 run forced a Nuggets timeout and more starters to return, but it was 35-34 before Jokic finally returned. A Harden three tied it at 37, then a Harden and-one gave the Clippers their first lead. Jokic came right back, but the Clippers were in the game now, especially Harden, and were plying with real force and energy. At half, the Clippers led 53-49, with Harden scoring all 14 of his points in the 2nd, and PG (12) and Norm (10) joining him in double figures scoring.
The Clippers returned to their starting unit, but this time it played well. Tucker guarded Jokic and did well, Zu helped off of Aaron Gordon, and the Clippers slowed the Nuggets attack. Meanwhile, a flurry by Paul George got the Clippers up 66-55 at the 7:52 mark. From there, the game turned into a slog, with neither side able to get in a rhythm offensively despite some highlight plays. After three, the score was just 75-70 Nuggets, with little momentum either way.
The Nuggets adjusted their rotations, going away from DJ and Justin Holiday with a more mixed unit. The Clippers were able to score, largely behind Harden’s playmaking, but Gordon relentlessly attacked Plumlee in space to finish and draw fouls. Then, at around the 8 minute mark, with the Clippers up 87-79, Porter shot a three where Zu ran into his leg (he kicked it out) and missed. No foul was called, Zu was fouled on the other end, and Malone got two techs and was ejected. The Clippers were up 90-79, but they unraveled for the next few minutes on offense, and the Nuggets cut the lead to just a few points in a hurry. The referees were awful, missing calls left and right in what became a slugfest. In the end, clutch defense and free throw makes by Zu were just enough to get the win, with a Jokic game-winner clanging off the rim.
Notes
Team Victory: This was a great win. The Clippers did
not play great, but this was the hardest they played in a game from start to
finish in a long time. Every single player who checked in contributed something
to win, with PJ playing great defense in the second half, Mann having a couple
nice buckets in the early 3rd, Amir with some strong rebounding and
transition takes, and Russ providing a lot of pace, energy, and thunderous
finishes. But the standouts were PG, who had 28, 4, 3, and 2 while playing
great defense, Zu with 14 and 15 and fantastic defense on Jokic, and Harden
with 20, 6, and 8. And yes, Harden was 6-23 from the field, but the fact he
even got 23 shots up was encouraging, as was his single turnover. This was a
team win, the Clippers’ best three active players all had moments, and they
beat a Nuggets team that played really hard and wanted this win.
Clippers vs Nuggets Recap: Clips Snag Gritty 102-100 Win
Robert Flom