The Los Angeles Clippers have picked up a crucial Game 2 win over the Denver Nuggets in a 105-102 classic, which was a back-and-forth battle for the entire game. The Clippers have earned home-court advantage for Games 3 and 4 with momentum on their side now because of a Kawhi Leonard masterclass.
Leonard led the Clippers with 39 points (15-19 FG), including some clutch buckets to ensure the Nuggets couldn’t win this. James Harden put up 18 points (7-17 FG) and seven assists while Ivica Zubac had 16 points (6-10 FG) and 12 rebounds. Norman Powell had 13 points (5-14 FG) and three steals, but also stepped up in the clutch.
Nikola Jokic put up a valiant 26 points (8-16 FG), 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in the loss. Jamal Murray had 23 points (9-17 FG) and six assists while Michael Porter Jr. contributed 15 points (6-11 FG) and 15 rebounds. Aaron Gordon had 14 points (5-13 FG) and a viral missed dunk, while Russell Westbrook came off the bench for 14 points (5-11 FG).
Let’s take a look at the major takeaways from this Playoff clash.
Kawhi Leonard Is As Healthy As Can Be
Every Clippers season outside 2019-20 has been interrupted by an injured Kawhi Leonard in the Playoffs. In 2021, he tore his ACL in the second round, which caused the Clippers to miss the 2022 Playoffs due to his season-long absence. He got hurt in the first round of both the 2023 and 2024 Playoffs, leading to early exits for the Clippers.
The version of Kawhi we saw tonight is arguably the healthiest version of him since the 2021 first round against the Dallas Mavericks, with his performance tonight reminiscent of what he did to the Mavericks in a 36-point outing on 13-17 shooting in Game 3.
He looked at ease across the court, playing both sides of the ball at a high level with heavy minutes and an increased load. Spending most of the regular season out to ramp up from February onwards is paying dividends as Kawhi looks the fittest he’s been in a while. Now, everyone needs to keep their fingers crossed that this patch of good health continues as the Clippers aim to challenge for a title.
A Comical Final Possession In A Heated Game
This game was incredibly competitive from whistle to whistle, with some high-level basketball being played by both sides. All 48 minutes functioned as clutch time for many, but actual clutch time led to some bizarre errors, primarily from the Nuggets. It started with Aaron Gordon missing a wide-open dunk because of an ambitious attempt, but the final possession was worse.
Aaron Gordon ?????? pic.twitter.com/MGdrKCSpCa
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 22, 2025
After Kawhi made it a three-point game with 53 seconds left, the ensuing Nuggets possession would lead to a Jokic turnover with 37 seconds left. James Harden would miss a game-winning bucket with 12 seconds left, leading to the Nuggets creating an open opportunity for Christian Braun, who snatched Harden’s ankles before airballing the shot. The rebound fell to Jokic, who also completely airballed his attempt.
Christian Braun and Nikola Jokic miss the game-tying 3-pointers and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Nuggets in Denver!
The series is now 1-1. pic.twitter.com/Q3s5gmuzM1
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 22, 2025
This was an unfortunate way for them to lose this game, but the Clippers executed at a high level to ensure Denver made these critical errors.
An Intriguing Box Score For Both Teams
This game was entirely won on the margins, as both teams excelled in entirely different areas. Just one possession going another way could’ve dramatically altered this game, but both squads used distinctly different styles to try and seal this win.
The Clippers shot 41-85 (48.2 FG%) from the field, 13-34 (38.2 3P%) from three, and 10-12 (83.3 FT%) on free throws. The Nuggets went 37-79 (46.8 FG%) from the field, 14-32 (43.8 3P%) from three, and a dismal 14-22 (53.6 FT%) from the free throw line.
The Clippers forced 20 Nuggets turnovers, with 13 being attributed to steals. This allowed them to generate more shot attempts despite being out-rebounded 32 to 50 by Denver.
Whatever advantage Denver gained from their strong three-point shooting and excellent rebounding was instantly nullified by their poor performance at the free-throw line and extremely sloppy style of play. Both teams will learn a lot from tonight’s game, which bodes well for how Game 3 in the Intuit Dome will be on Thursday.
