On December 14, Beijing time, the 2024-25 NBA regular season was underway, and the Clippers lost to the Nuggets 98-120 away, and the Clippers suffered three consecutive defeats.

Statistics

Clippers: Harden 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists while committing 9 turnovers; Zubac had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Powell had 16 points

Nuggets: Jokic shot 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range to finish with 16 points and 7 rebounds; Jamal Murray had 20 points, Aaron Gordon 14, Michael Porter Jr. 17 points, and Westbrook had five points, five assists and three steals, with a plus/minus of +21

Background

The Clippers have been in poor form lately, suffering a two-game losing streak after losing their last game to the Rockets 106-117, losing four of their last seven games and currently sitting in sixth place in the West with a 14-11 record. In the loss to the Rockets, Harden was sidelined, and against the Nuggets today, Harden returned and started the game, averaging 21.6 points per game this season, which is also his season-high since the 2021-22 season, in addition to averaging 6.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. Powell is the Clippers' leading scorer, averaging 23.6 points per game so far this season, compared to 32.5 points per game in his previous two games against the Nuggets. The good news is that Leonard has returned to training, but he won't be following the Clippers to Denver. The Clippers were forced to tighten up their defense without small cards, conceding 107.4 points per game to rank fifth in the league.

The Nuggets, on the other hand, are also out of shape, losing seven of their last 12 games and currently sitting in seventh place in the West with a 12-10 record. In the 141-111 win over the Hawks in the last game, Jokic once again chipped in 48 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, leading the league in rebounds per game (13.6) and second in points (32.3) and assists (10.2) per game, scoring 104 points in the last two games. However, Jokic's individual stellar stats still can't buy more wins for the team, and he needs more support from his teammates. In the Nuggets' favor, in this game against the Clippers, Jamal Murray (right hamstring inflammation) returned.

Game recap

The Clippers took the lead in attacking, and Harden, who returned from this game, first assisted Dunn to complete a jumper, and then Harden hit a three-pointer from the outside, and Harden started the game 5-0. After the Nuggets will find their touch in 1 and a half minutes, Murray scored the team's first attack of the game, Gordon played 2+1 on Harden, Jokic also scored consecutive baskets, with a wave of 17-5 offense, the Nuggets rewrote the score to 17-10 and forced the Clippers to stop. The game restarted, and Dunn scored five straight points on his own, and the Clippers narrowed the gap to four points. The Nuggets responded immediately and led the Clippers 29-22 at the end of the first quarter. It is worth mentioning that the Clippers shot only 23.1% from three-point range (3-of-13) in the first quarter, and trailed the Nuggets 7-17 in rebounds.

In the second quarter, the Clippers' offense suddenly stalled, and after three minutes of unscored goals, the Nuggets extended their advantage to 13 points with a wave of 7-1 small offense. However, then the situation on the court suddenly changed, and the Nuggets scored only one goal in the space of eight minutes, during which the team's coach Malone made a tactical arrangement of four up and four down. The Clippers took the opportunity to blast a 21-2 offensive surge to overtake the score at 44-38. At the critical moment, Braun stepped up and scored three consecutive goals to help the Nuggets stop the bleeding, and Jokic also contributed on the outside. At the end of the first half, the Nuggets led the Clippers 48-47.

Yibian fought again, the Clippers came up and forced the Nuggets to make 3 consecutive turnovers, Batum hit 2 three-pointers in a row, and directed a wave of 8-2 offense, and the Clippers overtook 55-50. Murray's layup started a wave of Nuggets counterattacks, and Porter Jr. scored 10 points to lead the team to a 23-5 climax, and the Nuggets regained a 13-point advantage. Kevin Porter Jr.'s jumper helped the Clippers stabilize their morale, but Jokic immediately responded with five points to give the Nuggets a 79-65 lead. Although the Clippers then played, the Nuggets responded, with Willis making two steals in the final 35 seconds of the quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets led the Clippers 83-69.

In the final quarter, the Nuggets continued to attack, and Watson scored three points to help the team rewrite the score to 92-74. Hyland's free throws still couldn't stop the Nuggets from moving forward. Willis, Murray, Watson and others scored one after another, and the Nuggets led 100-78. At 7 minutes and 26 seconds, Harden went off the court. With Murray and Watson attacking, the outcome of the game was out of suspense, and the Nuggets finally won the game.

Both sides start

Clippers: James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, Chris Dunn, Nicholas Batum

Nuggets: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Christian Braun