Los Angeles used an 20-2 run spanning the primary and second quarters to take management of Recreation 3, and together with a football-like 27-13 end, gained going away 117-83. The Clippers knocked down 11 extra threes than the frigid Nuggets tonight. Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray had greater than half of the crew’s manufacturing tonight, however acquired little else from the opposite starters apart from Aaron Gordon’s sizzling first quarter.
Leonard (21 factors, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Harden (20 factors and 9 assists) once more led the best way for the victorious Clippers, and acquired balanced manufacturing all through their rotation – Ivica Zubac (19 factors and 9 rebounds), Norman Powell (20 factors), Nic Batum (12 factors), and Derrick Jones, Jr. (10 factors).
Jokic (23 factors, 13 assists, and 13 rebounds) had one of many quieter non-Westbrook triple-doubles lately, whereas Murray’s affect (23 factors and 4 assists) – exterior of a second quarter burst – had been comparatively muted within the shadow of LA’s fireworks. Jokic and Murray’s bench failed them and, regardless of having over 60 minutes of mixed enjoying time, put up an unbelievably dangerous six factors.
The groups lit up the Intuit Dome with six of their first seven three makes an attempt discovering their manner residence. Gordon began 4-for-4 to select up a fast 11 factors. Norm Powell and Kris Dunn had a pair of threes to maintain LA nibbling on the Nuggets’ heels. As soon as Leonard sat, and seemingly on cue, Harden caught hearth from deep and close to the basket. Denver squandered a sizzling taking pictures begin and ended the primary down 28-35.
Los Angeles continued to pepper the defective Denver protection with a handful of threes and sufficient baskets deep within the paint whereas Jokic received his first remainder of the night time. Murray was the one Nugget to have any halfcourt success. Leonard and Harden resumed their series-long success throughout the courtroom patiently poking and prodding the Denver perimeter. Harden ran a facet pick-and-roll repeatedly that garnered alternatives proper on the rim or ultimately to the opposite facet. Leonard gave Jokic a little bit of his personal drugs by discovering a diving Jones, Jr. for an emphatic slam to make it 65-47 on the half.
Powell asserted himself within the third interval to get Los Angeles out to a 21 level margin. With out Michael Porter, Jr. and Russell Westbrook, Denver supplied little resistance the remainder of the best way. Powell gored the Nugget protection to get a pair of and-1s. Batum added to his impactful exterior taking pictures totals by nailing a wing three and stealing Murray’s go to finish the third with the Nuggets looking at a 20 level gap.
Observations
I neglect which ESPN sportscaster it was, however I at all times cherished it when he referred to the Nuggets as “the wealthy and creamies.”
NBA TV must be the place to go watch Orlando/Cleveland/Miami/Indiana-type collection (and the 2026 #4 Spurs / #5 Blazers first-round match-up) and never Nuggets / Clippers.
If a hobbled Porter, Jr. continues to be a passenger on the boat each different recreation this collection, Denver will likely be eradicated early subsequent Tuesday.
Sequence of the Recreation #1: On two straight possessions, Jokic, working from the precise elbow, discovered a baseline-cutting Christian Braun for dunks late within the first quarter. Two possessions later, Jokic no-looked a feed to Murray on the identical spot Braun received to for yet one more lay-up.
Sequence of the Recreation #2: Zubac couldn’t be saved off the offensive boards late within the opening half, and after his faucet again to Harden, the bearded one drove in for an and-1 to develop the cushion to twenty.
Sequence of the Recreation #3: LA had their very own model of the Stunning Recreation halfway by the third because the ball moved across the perimeter to Leonard for a nook three.
Recreation Rundown
Denver received the most effective opening doable as Zubac airballed a 5-footer, and Gordon transformed an and-1 on the different finish. As soon as that bucket went down, Gordon went bonkers over the subsequent a number of minutes. Powell and Dunn noticed their threes go down. Murray matched Leonard on three’s and the Nuggets went up 14-11. Jokic received three successive assists for lay-ups, whereas Harden took benefit of Leonard’s relaxation to knock down a pull-up three. Harden lured Peyton Watson into consecutive fouls, and his lay-up and stepback three put the Clippers forward by 4. Nic Batum’s wing three put LA up seven after one.
Zubac and Jones, Jr. kickstarted a 7-0 run begin to the second interval and constructed upon the lead that the Clippers nabbed from Denver. Batum’s second three put LA up 15. Unsurprisingly DeAndre Jordan missed each of his free throws. Batum’s third three, all three coming from the identical facet of the courtroom, outdid the 2 discipline objectives that Murray put up. Westbrook’s three lower the deficit to 10. A basic Leonard baseline turnaround prolonged the Clipper benefit to 18. Murray’s driving lay-up nonetheless wasn’t sufficient to attract the Nuggets nearer than 16 or get them over 50 factors.
Los Angeles ran a halfcourt clinic after halftime over the primary six minutes of the stanza to increase their benefit to 24. Powell scored typically and punctuated his mini-run by stealing a go meant for Murray and hovering to the rim for a fast-break dunk. Westbrook didn’t return to the sport after the break, and was changed by a pedestrian Julian Strawther. Even Ben Simmons felt sufficient juice to try a turnaround hook within the paint – which missed. Powell’s turnaround in the course of the lane capped a fantastic quarter for him, and the Clippers went to the fourth up 20.
