The Denver Nuggets came out fast to start the first quarter, but when the going got tough the Los Angeles Clippers got going and pulled away from Denver pretty easily the rest of the game, winning 117-83. Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in the loss and was still a -20 for the game. Jamal Murray added 23 points of his own, but the bench gave them almost nothing even in garbage time. Kawhi Leonard had 21 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists while Harden added 20 points and 9 assists, but the Clippers had 4 starters with 19+ points and two more in double-digits off the bench.
The Clippers forced Denver into uncomfortable shots and Denver shot under 41% from the field and 28% from 3, with just 38 points inside before garbage time. The Clippers imposed their will on this game and this series, and without a strong response from the Nuggets on Saturday Denver will find itself on the brink of elimination against a team simply playing harder and executing better than they are.
Game Flow
The Clippers won the tip on their home court and MPJ defended a Zubac attempt in the paint out of the zone, and then Aaron Gordon finished in transition the other way for a traditional three-point play. Norman Powell answered with a three, Jokic hit a paint floater, and Gordon banked in a 17 footer after a steal. MPJ got a block but the Clippers got the rejection and James Harden got to the line. Kris Dunn hit a rare three for LA, Porter squeezed up a finish in traffic for Denver, and Kawhi buried an open 3 after a defensive mistake for an 11-11 tie early. Jamal Murray answered with a 3, AG hit one the next time down, and then he and Dunn traded another 3 each. AG got fouled on a shot but it was reversed on replay, Jamal had a turnover but Christian Braun had a pair of paint finishes off Jokic passes. Murray also made a cut to finish a Joker assist, but then James Harden made a pair of threes. As the bench started filtering in the Clippers starters put the foot on the gas and Harden and Batum both hit threes in the final minute to finish a 16-2 run to take a 35-28 lead over the Nuggets after one.
Zubac made a couple of buckets while Denver couldn’t buy one to start the second quarter. Aaron Gordon and MPJ both missed threes, and Jalen Pickett had his shot blocked by Nicolas Batum. A Derrick Jones Jr. three pointer made it 42-28 Los Angeles and forced Denver into an early timeout. Murray got to the line and Denver brought DeAndre Jordan in to match the size of Zubac. Batum and Kawhi Leonard both made threes, while MPJ answered with one of his own from the corner and Jamal Murray hit a deep two before Jokic came back in down 50-37. Denver got a stop with an MPJ rebound and then Russell Westbrook hit a three to force the Clippers into a timeout. Zubac came back and made a layup, then Harden got free throws after Jokic for some reason tried to throw an oop to MPJ who had an injured shoulder. Russ missed a three and wound up with a foot injury that left him unable to return to the game, Kawhi hit a two, and Denver called a timeout down 58-40. Jokic made a free throw and a 20-foot jumper, but the Clippers came right back with a Zubac dunk and a Harden drive and finish. The Nuggets and Clippers traded buckets down the stretch and Los Angeles led 65-47 at the half.
The Clippers immediately got to the foul line to start the third quarter. Nikola Jokic hit a step-back three but that was the only bucket for Denver in the first 3 minutes of the quarter. Powell and Zubac both made interior buckets for the Clippers, Murray got to the line for Denver and then followed up his free throws with a layup, but Denver could not make up any ground on the Clippers. The two teams traded buckets through the middle part of the quarter, then bogged down with some free throws, but even a last-minute three by Jokic was topped by Batum’s behind-the-arc show in the final seconds as the Clippers won that quarter too and led 90-70 after three.
Neither offense could do anything in the first two minutes of the final frame, at which point Jokic came back in on barely any rest and immediately made a shot and found Gordon for a finish. But Denver still could not get stops or close the lead down in any way. The Nuggets pulled their final starters around the 5 minute mark and the bench did absolutely nothing the rest of the way as the Clippers won going away, 117-83.
Final Thoughts
– The Nuggets look out of gas – again. They just don’t have the juice, and can’t find the extra gear we expect from them – and that they probably expect from themselves. Unfortunately, running out of gas two years in a row is basically inexcusable for a team with an MVP-level player like Jokic. Not having a single usable offensive piece off the bench is a travesty. Jamal and MPJ being completely unable to raise their game in any way to help Jokic makes a mockery of the max contracts they have. At some point some players have to look themselves in the mirror and decide whether they play for the money or the victory, because right now there is an unforgivable level of nonchalance about winning the games that matter and approaching them that way from the jump. The game went off the rails the second the starters’ opening shift ended and never recovered – and it’s not like this is the first time. It’s all the hallmarks of a team flying above its level thanks to having an all-time-great player, but that doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow.
If the team is too thin, then play more players during the regular season. Gassing out and breaking all of your starters two years running is a front office problem that must be solved this offseason – but also Jokic never being able to take a play off, get a minute’s rest without his squad fumbling basic plays over and over is unforgivable in a contender with this much experience in its other rotation players. No team with Jokic as its offensive engine should ever look this inept and inefficient, so whether it is the season-long workload or the lack of quality reserves or a simple desire to put the conflict and strife of this season behind them, something has to change.
This season is not over, but the Nuggets played tonight like it is – and if they are doing that then maybe they’ve already lost. But throwing in the towel in consecutive seasons is a terrible look for a team that relies too much on its MVP to do all the hard work already. Denver has a lot of reflecting to do to even get this series back to even, let alone the re-dedication that is necessary – for whatever players actually return to the team next season – to make sure this stops happening to Nuggets squads when the going gets tough in the playoffs and they find themselves unable to fight for rebounds or make baskets or defend the three point line when it matters. Not good enough or not tough enough, the end result is the same. They’re not gonna get better in a couple of days, so they’ll have to get tougher to avoid a 3-1 series deficit.
