Nuggets 100 - 102 Clippers summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA

Jokic had a chance to win the game at the buzzer with a deep three from the sideline but came up short and the Clippers held on to win what could be a massive game for their quest for home court in the first round of the playoffs. They will play the second end of a back to back tomorrow night against the Jazz, and expect to have Kawhi Leonard back. 

The Nuggets now fall a game behind the Timberwolves for the top spot in the West and will need to spend the next week and a half chasing Minnesota while holding off Oklahoma City and hoping that Jamal Murray can come back in time for the final stretch of the regular season. 

Paul George was the constant throughout the game for LA. He put up 28 points on 21 shots and when it counted most, he had the ball in his hands. 

If Harden and Westbrook can play like they did on Thursday, this team is going to be capable of making a run deep into the playoffs, especially if they get a healthy Kawhi Leonard back. 

Ivica Zubac had his work cut out for him, but he rose to the occasioin and had 14 and 15 while keeping an eye on Nikola Jokic. Jokic ended the night with 36, 17 and 10 so he didn't really silence the Serb, but he did just enough. 

When Harden sees his three go down he's a different player, and the Clippers are a different team. That keeps the defense honest and allows him space to penetrate and create. He wasn't exactly hot from downtown on Thursday night, going just 2/13 but his first two threes were warning shots to the Nuggets. 

While the bench was an added bonus, it was James Harden that was going to need to be special without Leonard. He was shutout in the first quarter but had 14 in the second quarter. 

The bench was instrumental on a night that the Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard. Amir Coffey had 9 of the Clips' 34 points off the bench and once LA took the lead, they didn't give it back. 

The Los Angeles Clippers came up with a huge win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, and took a big step towards securing home court in the first round of the playoffs. Paul George led the way with 28 points in a tight game that went down to the wire. 

The Clippers came out cold, scoring just six points in the first six minutes and found themselves down as many as 16. It was the second unit that ignited LA, as Norman Powell and Russell Westbrook sparked a comeback after the first quarter. 

Jokic tried a three ball falling out of bounds with the game clock winding down, but his prayer is not answered and the Clippers hold on for the win!

Harden missed a three ball with the shot clock winding down and the Nuggets take a timeout with 5.0 to go!

Zubac missed a lay up down low, and then Gordon slipped as he tried to eurostep to the lane. 

Clippers ball with 33.1 to go in the 4th. 

Jokic tries a deep ball and drills it from the top of the key!

Zubac hits the second FT out of the timeout. 

Jokic missed the turn around and Zubac gets the rebound and goes to the line after the foul on Jokic. He hits one of two before the Nuggets call a timeout with 1:08 to go. 

Zubac was fouled on the offensive rebound attempt and he hits both FTs with 1:27 to go. 

Tucker sends Jokic to the line, and Tucker gets T'd up for jawing at the ref after the play. KCP misses the technical FT, while Jokic hits both of his FTs. 

Jokic backing down Tucker, and he hits the turn around and gets the foul from outside the lane! FT is good. 

Harden dumps it down to Zubac who slammed it over two defenders!

The call stands and PG hits both FTs. 

Gordon was called for a blocking foul on George but the Nuggets want to challenge that and see if PG pushed off. 

MPJ finds KCP in the corner and he strokes the three ball! He was hot to start the game, and he his hot to finish. 

Zubac sends Gordon to the line where he hits one of two FTs. 

George sticks another tough shot from the mid range in traffic. 

KCP with a huge three ball to keep the Nuggets in this game!

George going right to the rack out of the timeout and gets the lay up to go off the glass. 

Jokic posts up Harden down low and takes advantage of the mismatch with a lay up from underneath. 

Timeout Clippers with 5:39 to go in the 4th. 

Jokic to the line after the foul on Westbrook and he hits both FTs. 

Braun drives baseline and double clutches for the lay up. 

Zubac send to the line after the foul on MPJ, and Malone gets tossed with a double T after yelling to the ref about a no call on an MPJ missed three on the other end. 

George makes the technical FT, and Zubac hits both FTs. 

Harden to the line after the foul on Jokic and he hits one of two FTs. 

MPJ down the lane for a lay up out of the timeout. 

Coffey running the break after the turnover by Jackson and he dumps it off to Westbrook for the jam. 

Timeout Nuggets with 8:38 to go in the 4th quarter. 

Westbrook hits both FTs after the call stands as just a personal foul. 

Jackson with the foul that sends Westbrook to the line but the refs will review to determine if that foul is going to be a flagrant. 

Defensive three second called on Jackson and Harden hits the FT. 

Jackson to the line after the foul on Plumlee and the former Clippers hits both FTs. 

Coffey to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on MPJ. 

Gordon follows his own missed lay up and tips it up and in. 

Gordon back to the line after the foul on Plumlee and this time he hits both FTs. 

Coffey had space at the FT line and hits the mid range jumper. 

Harden in the lane and he drops the turn around fader from the paint. 

Gordon to the line after the foul on Plumlee and he hits one of two FTs. 

WE ARE HEADED TO THE THIRD QUARTER WITH THE CLIPPERS LEADING BY FIVE!

Jackson with the runner outside the lane and he banks it off of one foot. 

Westbrook to the line after the foul on Watson and he hits both FTs. 

Jokic follows up the miss from Braun and he tips it back up and in. 

Harden lobs it up for Westbrook for the alley oop jam off the baseine!

George fouled Watson going after a loose ball, and Watson hits both FTs. 

Tough shot from Jokic who threw it up with one hand as the clock was winding down and hit it over Plumlee. 

Powell to the line after the foul on KCP and he hits one of two FTs. 

Braun drills a three ball from the wing and the Clippers are going to take a timeout with under 5:00 to go in the 3rd quarter. 

Braun drives on two defenders and lays it up off the glass from the left side. 

Harden over the top to Zubac who raises up over Jokic and slams home the alley oop. 

Harden working his magic down the lane and he lays it up off the glass in traffic. 

Gordon to the line after the foul on Mann and he hits both FTs. 

George off the dribble and he shakes MPJ on his way to the bucket for the lay up! He's got 9 of his 21 in the quarter. 

Timeout Nuggets with 7:51 to go in the third. 

George gets back to his spot and hits another mid range J. 

Jokic spins in the lane, and dumps it off for MPJ who slams it home with two hands. 

George gets the mid range jumper to fall and he's starting to heat up out of the break. 

Gordon to the line after the foul on Zubac and he hits one of two FTs. 

Mann slices down the left side and lays it up over Jokic in the lane. 

George with the catch and shoot triple try from the wing. 

Gordon with the pick and roll and Jackson hit him down the lane for the jam AND 1! FT is good. 

Gordon went up for a block on Mann and fell hard to the ground. He was called by the foul and Mann hit both FTs. 

WE ARE BACK IN LA FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!

Harden had all of his team high 14 points in the second quarter, as has the Clippers up 53-49 at the break. 

Harden has been struggling from outside lately, but if he can get back on target when it matters this Clips team turns into a whole different beast. 

Westbrook and Powell came off the bench and sparked some energy in the Cryto.com Arena after a flat first quarter. He's got 4 and 5 assist and Powell had 10 off the bench. 

Jokic has been getting anything and everything he wants. He had 10, 7 and 3 after a quarter, and ended the half with 20, 9 and 4. He sat to start the second quarter and the Clips went on a 13-0 run to take the lead early in the 2nd. 

The lead climbed all the way up to 17 in the first half as the Clips started ice cold. 

The Nuggets got off the block quickly in LA thanks to 8 early points from KCP as Denver took a double digit lead before some of the fans were in their seats at Crytpo.com Arena.

WE ARE HEADED TO HALFTIME FROM LA!

It was all Nuggets in the first quarter, but the Clips came roaring back in the second. 

KCP fouled George with a second on the clock and PG hits both FTs to go into the half up by four. 

Harden pulls up in the face of a defender and he knocks down the three ball from the wing!

Jokic drillls a second three ball of the quarter off the pass back from Jackson and that's 20 for Jokic. 

Harden to the line after getting fouled behind the line by Gordon and he hits all three FTs. 

Jokic backs down Zubac and and gets another turnaround to go. 

Zubac goes over KCP and flips it up off the glass. 

Harden gets into the lane, pump fakes and hits the fader in the paint. 

Jokic left open at the top of the key and he drills the long ball. 

MPJ sends George to the line where he hits one of two FTs. 

KCP gives the Nuggets back the lead with a mid range J and the Clippers will take a timeout with 5:33 to go in the half. 

MPJ cuts to the cup and Jokic feeds him for the lay up down the lane. 

Harden to the cup, gets the lay up and the foul! FT is good after the foul on Gordon and the Clips lead for the first time tonight.

Harden steps back and drills the three ball from the wing! That's his first bucket of the game. 

Jokic gets the ball in the paint with his back to the bucket and hits the turn around shot out of the timeout. 

Coffey on the break, and he finishes at the cup and gets the foul on KCP! FT is no good. 

Westbrook finds Plumlee off the pick and roll and he lays it up and in. 

KCP with the steal off the inbound and flipped it all the way down the court for Gordon to chase down for the slam. 

MPJ gets the roll on the second attempt from the baseline after getting his floater in the lane blocked by Westbrook. DEN finally have their first points of the quarter. 

MPJ was picked off by Powell, and he finds Westbrook for an alley oop jam on the break!

Westbrook with another pass to the corner and Powell pump fakes and drills the three ball! 

Timeout Nuggets after the Clips start the quarter on an 8-0 run. 

Extra pass from Westbrook and he finds Coffey in the corner for three!

Powell streaks down the lane and scoops it up and in off the glass. 

We are at the end of the first quarter and the Nuggets have jumped out to the early double digit lead. Jokic has 10, 7 and 3 assists and KCP added another 8 while PG is carrying the Clips with 9 points. 

George drills a three ball, and he's off to a nice start in this first quarter. 

Jokic down the lane again and hits another circus shot over the defense. 

Zubac picks up the loose ball and finds Powell for the fast break lay up. 

Westbrook slashes to the cup and lays it up with that wrapped left hand. 

Jokic misses the FT out of the break, but gets a runner in the lane to go over George. 

Jokic backing down Zubac in the lane, and flips one up from under the basket, gets it to go AND 1. Jokic will be at the line after the timeout with 2:40 to go in the first quarter. 

George gets the mid range jumper to fall again, and he knows he's going to have to be big if the Clips are going to have any chance. 

Powell was open in the corner and George hit him for the three ball. 

Jokic with the spin in the lane and he floats it over Powell. 

MPJ with his second three ball of the quarter and the Nuggets are rolling. 

Jokic back down Zubac from outside and he drops the turn around from outside the lane. 

George with the eurostep through the lane and he gets the transition lay up to fall. 

Jokic fights for the offensive rebound, slips it to Gordon who gets the put back to go and the foul! FT is no good after the foul on Tucker. 

Mann drives baseline and gets the reverse lay up to fall. 

MPJ gets his name on the score sheet with a three ball and everyone is getting into the action from DT. 

KCP running the break and Jokic found him in stride for the lay up. 8-0 Nuggets run and the Clippers will take an early timeout with 8:29 to go in the 1st. 

KCP with his second three ball of the first quarter, this one from the right wing. 

Jackson drills a three ball against his own team to get his night started from the field. 

George gets to his spot and knocks down the fade away from the mid range. 

Zubac in the lane and he gets it to fall after the offensive board. 

KCP steps into a three ball and strokes it off the lay off from Gordon in transition. 

Dump down to Gordon from Jokic and he lays it up off the glass from under the iron. 

WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM LA!!!

With no Kawhi Leonard for a second straight night, the Clips are going defensive with PJ Tucker in their starting five. Paul George and Harden are going to be the focal points of the offense with Zubac down low and Mann out on the perimeter. 

Jamal Murray came into the night listed as questionable for the seventh straight game. He twisted his ankle against New York on the 22nd of March, and hasn't been back on the court since. In his stead, Reggie Jackson will get the start tonight, and he is joined by Gordon, KC, MPJ and Nikola Jokic.

How the West will be won

Taking a look at the Western Conference Standings, we see the Denver Nuggets tied for a share of the lead with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the top of the table. They sit in second do to a tie break with the T’Wolves after their loss to Anthony Edwards and Minnesota last week. They still have a matchup against the T’Wolves which could prove decisive in the race for the top spot, but don’t forget about the OKC Thunder who are nipping at the heels of both teams, just a game back. The Clippers are looking like a lock for the four seed which would secure them home court for the first round of the playoffs. They have a two game lead over the Dallas Mavericks and a 2.5 game lead over Phoenix in 6th. Barring disaster, LA will likely have the 4 seed, but their first round match up isn’t going to be an easy one in a stacked Western Conference. 

Joker time

To not be too obvious, we usually talk about Michael Porter Jr. or Aaron Gordon in this block of our previews to Nuggets games. But really this should be reserved exclusively for the Nuggets Finals MVP and two time NBA MVP.  Nikola Jokic knows when to rise to the occasion, and he gave us proof of that in the Nuggets last game against San Antonio.  He knew it would be him vs. Wemby, so what did he do? He dropped 40+ and grabbed 16 rebounds and had a dunk, which he rarely does, over Wemby. Jokic only gets better as the season goes on and the games get more important, so it should be of no surprise that of the three teams chasing the one seed in the West, Denver is without question the least desired option for the rest of the West. 

Too many hands in the dough?

There was a time in which Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook seemed to have it all figured out. After a rocky start to the campaign, things started to click and for about a month and a half to two months they looked like the hottest team in the league. Right now it seems as though there is a bit of overbooking in LA. Kawhi and PG barley had time to figure out how to play with each other over the last couple of seasons as injury continuously sidelined them, and now that Harden and Westbrook have been added to the equation, ball distribution has been tricky. We have seen them click, and when they do it’s a scary opponent for anyone in the West. If they can get to that point before the playoffs, they could be poised for a deep run. 

Clippers last game

The Clippers finished off a four game road trip in Sacramento on Tuesday night and had their thee game win steak snapped before returning home. LA was without Kawhi Leonard who was resting a sore knee. Russell Westbrook started in place of Leonard, and led the Clippers in scoring with 20 points, but it wasn’t enough to take down the Kings who played like a team determined to get out of Play-In position. Sacramento took the early lead in the first quarter and never looked back, stretching their advantage to as many as 24 in the fourth quarter. Domantas Sabonis dominated, posting 22 points and 20 rebounds as Sacramento took care of business at home and inched closer to a direct playoff spot. 

Nuggets last game

On paper the Nuggets last game against the San Antonio Spurs was simply a game between one of the top teams in the league against one of the bottom teams in the league. Despite the disparity in records, the hype around the game couldn’t have been bigger. The here and now taking on what’s to come. A two time MVP in Nikola Jokic matching up against Victor Wembanyana and the San Antonio Spurs. Both teams exchanged blows as each team took their share of the lead throughout the game. Wembanyama wasn’t the only one who came to play against the defending champions. Tre Jones had a triple double, and Malaki Branham put up 24 points as the Frenchman posted 23 and 15 rebounds and 8 assists. Jokic carried the Nuggets, dropping 42 points and 16 rebounds as Denver held off the Spurs in the final minutes. 

We are live from LA

Hello everyone and welcome the Crypt where the Clippers return home need a bounce back from a loss to Sacramento that brought an end to a four game road trip. They are hanging on to the four seed in the West and desperate to get at least a round of home court advantage to start the playoffs. The Nuggets are a bit more ambitious heading into the final week and a half of the regular season.  After winning their last two against Cleveland and San Antonio they hit the road hoping to grab their second straight one seed heading into the postseason. Both teams need a win tonight for their respective races, but only one will prevail in the City of Angels. 

Nuggets vs. Clippers 

Every game is a big one from here on out as the Western Conference playoff picture goes down to the wire. Tonight two teams with plenty at stake for the rest of the season look to grab a crucial win in their own respective sprint to the finish line. It’s Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets taking on Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from Crypto.com Arena.