NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from the Denver Nuggets' Win over the Los Angeles Clippers
The Nuggets were handed their worst loss of the season by the Clippers last month, in what was a 21-point rout. The Nuggets returned home to host the Clippers for the third game of the four-game series and pulled through for a 121-100 revenge victory by the same margin. Their 21-point payback win over LA has got them a 2-1 lead in the season series with only one game to go.
The Denver Nuggets have now won seven of their last eight matches, and their recent win over the visiting Clippers has taken their record to a West-best 28-12(0.700), now 1.5 games clear of the 2nd seed Warriors. The Nuggets have lost just three games at home this season so far.
On the other hand, the Clippers had their three-game winning streak snapped by Denver as they dropped to 24-17(0.585) on the season. They are currently sharing the fifth spot with the Spurs on the West leaderboard, now 4.5 games below the team they lost to. This was just the fourth Clippers loss in the previous ten games.
Let's draw out some key takeaways from this Denver Nuggets redemption win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
#1 The Joker impresses with another one of his characteristic triple-doubles
Jokic's quarterback-like full-court pass highlighted his all-round performance when the Clippers came to visit the Nuggets in Denver. He lofted the ball straight out of a rebound with one hand across the court to Jamal Murray for an easy dunk in the third period, leaving the spectators in awe of his court-vision and control.
"He could play for NFL teams the way he passes the ball," Malone said.
He did a little bit of everything and finished with a typical Joker-like triple-double, consisting of 18 points, 14 boards, and 10 assists. Although the Joker couldn't sink any of his five three-point attempts, he shot a decent 8-of-19 from the floor and chipped in with a couple of blocks on the defensive end.