Afrigather The Los Angeles Clippers aren’t a rival to the Denver Nuggets. They’re the defending champion’s perpetual punching bag. Denver overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat them in a 2020 playoff collection. The Nuggets have gone 13-2 towards the Clippers of their final 15 complete video games. Final season, all 4 of these wins got here by double digits. At one level within the 2020 collapse, Paul George missed a nook 3-pointer off the facet of the backboard. There isn’t any scarcity of humiliation right here. The Nuggets have not stopped embarrassing the Clippers because the bubble.
However what occurred on Monday? That is likely to be the brand new low, not only for this non-rivalry, however maybe this complete period of Clippers basketball. The Nuggets knew early Monday that Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon would sit out towards the Clippers. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic joined them as a result of decrease again ache. Take into account, depth is Denver’s biggest weak point. Denver has a plus-9.5 internet score with Jokic on the ground this season and a minus-8.3 internet score with out him. A house sport towards the Nuggets with out Jokic, Murray and Gordon needs to be about as straightforward as NBA video games get. It seemed even simpler on paper because the Nuggets have been on the second night time of a back-to-back. So, naturally, the Nuggets beat the Clippers, 113-104.
Now, as Nuggets coach Michael Malone noted after the sport, “We did it right here final yr on this constructing with out Nikola Jokic, similar factor.” That’s, technically, true. On Jan. 13, 2023, the Nuggets beat the Clippers, 115-103, in Los Angeles with out Jokic. Nonetheless, Murray and Gordon performed in that sport, and Paul George did not. The Nuggets have been weaker this time. The Clippers have been imagined to be stronger. As a substitute, the Clippers misplaced to a pair of opponents whose presence within the upset solely additional twisted the knife.
This season, Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan have mixed to common 15 factors, 5.9 rebounds and 5 assists per sport in restricted minutes. Jackson has began rather than Murray, however shall be a backup when this crew is wholesome. Jordan has barely performed. However on Monday? They mixed for 56 factors, 18 rebounds and 16 assists on 23-of-30 capturing. Jackson and Jordan are each of their mid-30s now, however each of them spent their primes with the Clippers. Jackson was traded by Los Angeles final season. Jordan left as a free agent in 2018. The pair mixed for 5 alley-oops. This video says greater than phrases ever may.
Within the grand scheme of issues, November losses are not often essential. The Clippers are 7-9. That is far worse than they anticipated or hoped, however it’s solely 4 video games out of the No. 2 seed within the Western Convention. On paper, the Clippers are nonetheless very fixable.
However basketball is not performed on paper. For the previous three years, the Clippers have confirmed fully incapable of beating the one time you must beat to be able to win the Western Convention. Actually, their one victory over the Nuggets previously three calendar years was considerably much like this one. On Jan. 11, 2022, Los Angeles (with out Kawhi Leonard and Paul George) eked out an 87-85 victory over Denver, who shot an abysmal 12% from 3. Huge image? The Clippers’ cornerstone duo hasn’t overwhelmed the Nuggets since 2020.
The brand new stars weren’t precisely higher on Monday. James Harden shot 3-of-7 from the sector in 36 minutes whereas turning the ball over thrice. Russell Westbrook added 4 turnovers and the Clippers misplaced his 27 minutes by 11 factors. The offensive fit issues that were obvious upon Harden’s acquisition have been even worse than anticipated. The Clippers by no means transfer or cross on offense. They cannot defend guards both.
No November loss ends a season, however this one was about as damning because it will get. It was every part mistaken with a crew that has accomplished every part over the previous 4 seasons and every part proper concerning the defending champions all compressed into 48 minutes. Denver’s D-listers stepped up when referred to as upon. The Nuggets did every part they wanted to do to be able to win shorthanded. If the Clippers cannot even pull themselves collectively sufficient to beat Denver’s bench at residence in November, what probability will they’ve towards their actual crew in April or Might?
