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The Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets will face off tonight in Denver, with the Nuggets up 1-0 in the series after they edged the Clippers 112-110 in overtime in Game 1. This Western Conference series is already heating up with regulation and overtime heroics from Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, who hit a big three-pointer and knocked away an inbounds pass toward the end of overtime.
Let’s dive into this matchup while recapping both teams’ seasons and making a game pick for tomorrow night’s Game 2.
The Clippers had an eight-game winning streak snapped thanks to their Game 1 loss, but they’re also 18-4 since March 5th. As one of the hottest teams in the NBA, they’ve been awesome, thanks to the combination of James Harden, a career season from Norman Powell and Kawhi Leonard’s return from injury in January. All three players average at least 21.5 points per game and have done a lot of heavy lifting for the Clippers on the offensive side of the ball.
The Clippers shine on the defensive end, as they give up the third-fewest points per possession, finishing third in defensive rating and first in defensive rebounding rate during the regular season. The Clippers, like the Nuggets, can also be volatile thanks to the always-lingering injury threat on Leonard, plus Harden’s dubious history in the playoffs. Still, with that scoring trio, Ivica Zubac, an on-ball guard in Kris Dunn, plus veteran bench pieces like Ben Simmons, Nic Batum and others, the Clippers have the collective postseason experience, plus their hot streak, to get back into the series and tie it up before heading back to Southern California for Game 3.
All is well right now for the Nuggets, as they have a 1-0 lead over the Clippers. They got a ton of contributions from Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Westbrook and company, but Michael Porter was mostly absent, as he left the game with eight minutes remaining in regulation and did not return for the rest of the contest. For somebody making over $179 million over the next five seasons, Porter has to get engaged in the series and take more than four shots in 26 minutes.
The Nuggets feel much more fragile than in seasons past, but they were on point in Game 1 across the board, save for Porter. They have not been as stout on the defensive end but did just enough to stave off the Clippers. Jokic, Murray and Gordon each scored over 20 points, and if that trio continues to perform at this level on the offensive side, Denver could be in store for a deep postseason run. Adding in Christian Braun, these four players all played 45+ minutes, with the bench only going three players deep.
Game 2 is in Denver again, and the modus operandi is the same for the Nuggets: don’t let the stars beat you. Harden and Leonard had a combined 20-for-37 shooting (54%) night from the field, and while they held Powell to just 5-of-12 shooting, the Nuggets can’t let those two stars take over.
The Clippers put up an able effort on the road but still fell short. Despite their defensive prowess throughout the regular season, it’s hard to contain Jokic, the three-time MVP. Jokic was just one assist away from a triple-double, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he took over the game with the Nuggets’ urgency to get ahead 2-0 in the series before their next two games in Los Angeles.
Kevin has been writing about sports since 2015 with a primary focus on fantasy football. His work has been featured on outlets like Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life, FantasyPros, Sports Illustrated, RotoBaller, Fantasy Alarm, and numerous other fantasy websites. As a native New Yorker now living in the Midwest, Kevin counts the Green Bay Packers, New York Yankees and Syracuse Orange as his favorite teams.