The first weekend of the NBA season began with a bang as two Western Conference titans faced off for their first of several duels. The Clippers and the Nuggets, who both started the night at 0-1, held nothing back in the matchup and battled in a close game until the very end.
Of course, it was the Clippers who came out on top in this game, somehow pulling off a win (109-104) against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets without Kawhi Leonard. If nothing else, it was evidence of the depth and versatility of the Clippers’ roster, which includes Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, and Terance Mann.
“I think we underestimated the ‘dawg’ in the Clippers’ supporting cast,” wrote a fan on X. “Taking the Suns to overtime and now leading the Nuggets by 18 on Denver’s court?”
Norman Powell was the star of the show for the Los Angeles Clippers with 37 points on 7-11 shooting from three. James Harden wasn’t far behind with 23 points and 16 assists. It remains to be seen if this play is sustainable for the Clippers but they will surely celebrate the win tonight while they will have time.
“This year’s Clippers team actually plays like a team. Trusting each other, hustling, playing with a purpose, and actually playing defense,” wrote a popular Clippers fan account. “You bring in players like Dunn / DJJ, role players that don’t play for themselves but play for others, it infects the rest of the team.”
Sadly, the Clippers don’t have much time to savor this victory with their next game on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, for the Nuggets, it’s nothing but bad omens after losing their second straight.
Nikola Jokic had 41 points. 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in the game and he even made 7 three-pointers on 58% shooting. Somehow it still wasn’t enough to win and you could feel the frustration boiling for Jokic and his crew.
“Nuggets are so finished,” one fan said, “I prayed for this dawg”
Despite a recent shooting slump, Jamal Murray played well in this game with 22 points and 5 assists on 50% shooting. It was really the others who failed to step up, guys like Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. who combined for 19 points on 7-26 shooting (30.4%). Russell Westbrook was -13 off the bench with just 2 points on 0-8 shooting.
“Russell Westbrook chucking up more airballs,” a Lakers fan posted. “They really tried blaming the Lakers for this!”
Obviously, there’s still plenty of time for things to swing the other way for either team but at least with the Clippers, there’s always the hope that Kawhi is safe and ready to play in the postseason. As one of the best two-way players in the world, he can elevate the Clippers to a whole different level.
The same cannot be said for the Denver Nuggets, who are complete as they are now after losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. Clearly, the losses have taken a toll and the Clippers reminded them tonight of what they currently lack the most.
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