The Denver Nuggets still haven’t figured out how to play with their stars returning and that inability cost them again as they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 115-114 after Jamal Murray missed a free throw with the chance to send the game to overtime. Murray had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists but shot just 5-for-15 and combined with Nikola Jokic for 10 of Denver 17 total turnovers. Jokic had 22 points and 17 rebounds but just 6 assists and was 9-for-22 from the field as he was obviously hampered by a taped right wrist. The Nuggets had more arguments with officials than good communication on defense and their lack of focus in key moments cost them the win, wasting 19 points from Bruce Brown and 18 from Julian Strawther.
The Clippers were led by Bennedict Mathurin’s 38 points, as Denver had no answer for the newest Clipper. Denver fouled everyone, but especially Mathurin who was 12-for-13 from the line. Kawhi Leonard and Derrick Jones Jr. combined for 43 points, and every one of them mattered in the one point Clippers victory. Denver still has to figure out how to win close games if they want to go anywhere this season – the schedule will only get tougher. The missed an opportunity to do that tonight, and tripped out of the gate in the second half of the season.
Game Flow
Cam Johnson opened the scoring with a nice layup after curling down the lane. He missed three the next time down, but Julian Strawther got the start and buried a corner three. The Clippers missed their first couple of shots and then Dunn traveled, but Denver committed two turnovers off some non-called fouls on Jokic. Strawther hit another three though, and Strawther’s steal turned into a Cam three. He buried another jumper to make it 13-4 and force a Clippers timeout. Strawther got called for offensive goaltending on a tip-in to take a bucket off the board, and Jokic missedva three. Murray blocked Kris Dunn at the rim the other way and Christian Braun had a great steal, but Jamal airballed against Dunn’s pressure the other way. Jokic recovered a deflection and made a layup, John Collins hit a jumper over Braun, but Braun hit a layup in return off a Jokic feed. Kawhi Leonard hit a 15-foot jumper, Jokic missed a floater but then Braun found him for a layup the next time down.
Mathurin got to the line multiple times for free throws to keep it close, but Bruce Brown hit a corner three after checking in. Collins answered with a three of his own, but Jokic found Brown for a reverse layup. Murray missed a three, Mathurin hit one, and Denver’s lead was 24-20. Mathurin stayed hot with another bucket after Jokic airballed a three looking for his touch, and the Clippers tied it up then took the lead on Jordan Miller’s free throws. The Nuggets had flashes of greatness and some cold stretches and trailed after one, 25-24.
Denver’s cold streak on offense continued as Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr. both missed shots and the Clippers kept converting on second-chance opportunities. Bruce Brown committed a bad-pass turnover, but off a Los Angeles miss THJ banked in a layup and Bruce Brown went coast-to-coast off a rebound for a traditional three-point-play. Kawhi missed, Jonas grabbed the board, but Cam Johnson’s turnover led to a Mathurin dunk. Brucie B hit a nice paint bucket, but Mathurin answered with another three. Spencer Jones found Bruce Brown for a Denver three though and a 34-32 Denver lead. Jamal finally hit a three but the Nuggets turned the ball over again under LA’s ball pressure, then Mal missed his next shot. Bruce Brown stayed scorching hot with another three, but Jamal turned the ball over again and Kawhi got a tip finish on the other end as Denver held a 1-point lead at 40-39.
Jokic finally came back in the game with under 5 minutes left in the half, but missed a shot at the rim again as his shooting woes continued. Christian Braun had a transition finish blocked, but Strawther hit a three and then a Jamal steal turned into a CB finish to put Denver up 6. Jamal had a terrible possession but Denver scrounged a rebound and Strawther buried another three. Mal was blocked in transition, Strawther got a steal but Brown couldn’t finish and Denver couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities. Cam Johnson buried a three after a Brook Lopez screening turnover, Mathurin hit a floater, and Murray missed a three at the buzzer to put Denver up 52-45 at the break.
Jamal Murray missed his first shot of the second half but made the second, but Kawhi hit a paint bucket in return. Strawther hit another three off a Cam Johnson assist, which Derrick Jones Jr. answered with a driving finish. Cam Johnson got hit in the face on a three-point shot and made all 3 free throws to give Denver an 8 point lead. DJJ missed a three for LA, Strawther missed a Denver layup, and Leonard had a finish through Jokic contact. Jokic missed another shot as he just couldn’t find the touch, but he found Strawther in the corner for a 3. Jones Jr. and Kawhi made buckets to close the gap to 1, but Braun got the layup finish off a Jokic assists and made a free throw after contact. Joker made free throws after also getting hit in the face by Collins, then finished off a great pass from Murray for a layup. Cam had a great breakaway dunk, and Murray finished at the rim on a run that finally got stopped by a Batum shot. Unfortunately then Denver gave up a 9-0 run and eventually the lead as Denver turned the ball over 8 times in the quarter and the Clippers kept the pressure up. Jokic bricked another three in the closing seconds and Denver finished the quarter down 78-77.
Denver committed yet another turnover to start the quarter, but Spencer Jones finished at the rim the next time down. Mathurin came back with a three-point-play that Denver answered with a Big Val dunk – unfortunately no one could slow Mathurin as he hit another bucket. Bruce Brown got free throws, then Big Val got in a shoving match with half the Clippers roster and some techs were awarded after which the teams were tied at 83. Valanciunas hit a paint shot, Cam Johnson got a bucket after goaltending on Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and then the teams swapped trips to the free throw line for a bit. Jamal’s free throws put Denver up 6 with 8 minutes to go, but Kawhi’s flop got the Clips right back to the stripe. Jokic came back in and had a nice layup finish, but the free-throw-fest would not abate for the Clippers. Jokic flipped in a floater, Mathurin answered at the rim, and Jokic free throws are met with a Lopez lay-in to keep the deficit to a bucket at 97-95. Jokic missed a right-handed layup but made a left-handed one, but Denver just couldn’t get stops and Derrick Jones Jr. finished a pair of drives to put the Clippers ahead. Murray had free throws, Jones Jr. hit a three, and Jokic was called for a take on his fifth foul.
The Clippers took a five point lead, Jokic made a free throw, and Denver forced a 24-second violation with under 2 minutes to go. Jokic finished a drive off a Murray pass to close to 107-105 with 1:03 left. Mathurin missed a three, Jokic threw in a baseline spin to tie it, but Mathurin made a pair of free throws the other way. Jokic missed a shot, Derrick Jones Jr. made a pair of free throws the other way, and even a Murray dunk and three in the waning seconds couldn’t close the gap. Murray had three free throws with under a second to go, but he missed the final one as the fourth quarter free throw hell could not be escaped and Denver lost 115-114.
Final Thoughts
–Denver has lost way too many of these winnable games in the closing minutes of quarters. Denver’s All Stars, Murray and Jokic, started the game 3-for-18 in the first half and were just 3-for-18 for 7 combined points – and Denver still led by 7 at the break. It’s nice having depth that can step up for a bit and help stabilize a game in which the stars struggled. But the 17-7 run for the Clippers in the first quarter, and 15-3 at the end of the third, put Denver in too deep of a hole. Denver had stupid turnovers, poor closing execution, blown defensive plays and a million fouls. They gave up 37 points in the final frame and came up short in the clutch yet again.
Denver is still missing two of its best defenders, but at some point that can’t be the excuse of failing in all of these close-and-late situations. Denver can’t keep giving up these runs at the ends of quarters, committing these silly turnovers, or making bone-headed choices down the stretch (like the one Cam made to let Brook Lopez dunk on him in the final minute on an out of bounds play). At some point this is simply an execution problem, a failure to care about the details. A failure of coaching, of stars to set expectations for what is acceptable and what is not, and of every player to step up in their role.
Denver keeps sleepwalking through these close losses and hoping someone will bail them out. Maybe the other team will make a mistake. Maybe their teammates will save them. At some point, every single Nugget will have to decide to save themselves, and this squad, from more humiliating and unnecessary losses if they plan to actually play deep into the playoffs this year and not take an early vacation.
