A shorthanded LA Clippers’ squad couldn’t withstand the power of Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets. Without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Reggie Jackson, the team from California didn’t have much chance against the Serbian.
The game was a one-sided affair from the very beginning as the Nuggets erased a 7-point deficit in the first quarter. An 11-2 run towards the end of the first 12 minutes gave them the lead, 30:32. Will Barton and Nikola Jokic took charge in the second quarter, thus giving their team a more convincing advantage.
Joker x #PhantomCam
Nikola Jokic is up to 17 PTS, 12 REB, 6 AST and 2 BLK for the @nuggets on NBA League Pass.
Q3 action ➡ https://t.co/V0kkYEn6W6 pic.twitter.com/M350Xkv6RS
— NBA (@NBA) December 27, 2021
The third 12 minutes of play started off quite well for the Nuggets as they increased their lead to 17 points, 57:74. However, with a great performance towards the end of it, the Clippers reduced their deficit and even came on top. The third quarter finished with a 26-5 run for the hosts as they regain a 4-point lead, 83:79.
Right when the LA Clippers felt the win in their hands at 91:82 in the last quarter, the things started going south for them. Nikola Jokic came up huge with a couple of crucial blocks and rebounds to give the Nuggets the lead, 94:96, with 03:50 minutes remaining. Towards the end, the Clippers had yet another chance to clinch the victory after Luke Kennard sank a 3-pointer with 19.7 on the clock.
Austin Rivers drains the clutch corner triple to put the @nuggets up 6!
35.2 seconds to play on NBA League Pass ⤵https://t.co/V0kkYEn6W6 pic.twitter.com/QovD5icr1V
— NBA (@NBA) December 27, 2021
Nikola Jokic finished off with 26 points, 22 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Will Barton added 17 more points for the Nuggets’ victory. Brandon Boston Jr. and Eric Bledsoe dropped 18 points for the Clippers. Ivica Zubac went for 7-8 from the field, but this was not enough for the win.
This outcome didn’t have an impact on both teams’ rankings in the West as the Clippers kept their 5th place, while the Nuggets remained 6th. The team from LA is looking at a 17-16 record ahead of their final games of the year against the Brooklyn Nets, the Boston Celtics, and the Toronto Raptors.
The Nuggets take on the best team in the NBA as they will play twice Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Their hopes are kept high due to the absence of Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. On top of that, Klay Thompson’s return is once again postponed as he was expected to be back for their fixture.
