The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers looked every bit of two very evenly matched teams in a 4/5 first round matchup. Nikola Jokic had a big game as did Aaron Gordon and they rallied the Nuggets in the second half to overcome big games from Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. It ended up taking an extra five minutes before turnovers and cold shooting late doomed the Clippers. Nuggets win game one in overtime, 112-110.

Ivica Zubac scored the first six for the Clippers while the Nuggets got their points through a team effort. Denver had a small lead four minutes into the game but weren’t doing much to slow down L.A. from scoring. The Nuggets outside shot went cold midway through the quarter which got the Clippers on a run and they went ahead. Denver fell behind by as much as seven before their bench started to check in. Harden started to take over and pushed the lead to double digits. The Nuggets responded with an 8-0 run to pull back within four with two minutes to go. They kept the Clippers off the scoreboard until the final thirty seconds when Harden hit a pair of step backs to highlight a big quarter for him. After one the Clippers led 35-27.

Los Angeles kept getting to the basket to open the second quarter, Leonard chief among them. The Clippers pushed the lead up to fourteen before Denver started another rally to get back within eleven when Jokic checked back in. Kawhi continued to be a problem and the lead continued to grow. Jokic and Zubac did a little pushing and shoving and got consecutive offensive fouls after that as the intensity dialed up. The Nuggets slowed the Clippers offense down for a couple minutes and cut back into the lead. They got it back under ten with just over two minutes left to go in the half. They pulled within four behind Jokic in the final minutes and went to the locker room trailing 53-49.

The teams traded baskets to open the second half but Harden got himself into foul trouble early in the third. Zubac kept cleaning up on the offensive glass which prevented the Nuggets from coming back. Jokic kept scoring though to keep Denver in striking distance. The Nuggets pushed back again, they started running the floor and climbed within three points just past the halfway point of the quarter. They stayed stuck at that point for a couple minutes, annoyingly unable to get over the hump and go back in front on the scoreboard. Jokic would miss a couple bunnies and every time the Nuggets had a chance to tie they’d end up giving up a bucket on the other end. Jokic got a steal and closed out the fastbreak on the other end to get the Nuggets within three going into the final frame. After four the Clippers led 75-72.

Denver got within one to start the fourth but Kawhi found life again while Murray was struggling to carry the Nuggets offense without Jokic. Nikola came back in quickly with Denver trailing by five. The Nuggets kept hunting Bogdan Bogdanovic on defense which brought Harden back into the game with the Clippers clinging to a one point lead. Denver tied it at 81 and then the refs decided elbowing Jokic in the face was not only fine but also worthy of giving Joker a technical for complaining that it wasn’t called. That shifted the momentum and Denver fell behind by six but kept hanging around heading down the stretch. They pulled back within one behind Jokic and Murray and then Gordon hit some free throws to eventually give the Nuggets the lead. They were playing much better defense in the final minutes and gave themselves some extra chances with offensive rebounds but couldn’t cash enough of them in. The Nuggets trailed by one with just over thirty seconds to go and the ball in their possession. Westbrook hit a huge three but Harden hit a quick two to give Denver a final play with the game tied. L.A. denied Murray and Jokic the ball and the fourth ended with Westbrook fumbling the ball away. The game headed to overtime all tied at 98.

Denver got a small lead to start the extra period thanks to a Gordon dunk and Westbrook’s hustle on the offensive glass. The Clippers stars hit tough shots though and didn’t let the Nuggets pull away. They had a chance to go up five with a minute half to go but the possessions kept ending in Westbrook jumpers that weren’t falling. Christian Braun hit a big three to put Denver up four with a minute to go. Harden responded with a huge three after a Kris Dunn steal but clutch Gordon free throws put Denver up three with ten seconds left. Westbrook forced a turnover on the ensuing inbound and Jokic iced it at the line. Denver escapes Game One with a 112-110 victory in overtime.