Denver Nuggets Cruise to 122-109 Win Against Los Angeles Clippers in Nikola Jokic’s Return

The Denver Nuggets saw their offense click on all cylinders with Nikola Jokic back in the lineup, as they easily defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night to move to 33-16 on the season.

No Rust for Jokic in Return from Knee Injury

After missing the last month due to a hyperextended knee, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was right back to his MVP form tonight. The three-time MVP finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds on an efficient 8 for 11 shooting from the floor, as the Nuggets’ offense was unstoppable all night against a much-improved Clippers’ defense.

Jokic also added in 3 steals in the game to show off his two-way capabilities in the win. The Nuggets would shoot an efficient 54% from the floor, while also raining in 16 threes on a scorching 57% clip in a monster offensive night overall. The Nuggets would also receive some great support from other players like Jamal Murray and Tim Hardaway Jr., who both led the way for Denver in their three-point attack.

Murray would finish with 20 points and 9 assists, while Hardaway Jr. would knock down 5 threes to score 22 points in a fantastic night off the bench in the win. The Nuggets would see 5 players score in double-figures, with 4 of them also scoring over 20 points in a dominant offensive outing.

Clippers Offense Plays Well Despite Loss

Although the Clippers were unable to stop the Nuggets’ terrific offense, they were able to have a productive offensive outing themselves. Los Angeles would shoot 46% from the field for the game, while also making 14 threes at 35% clip.

The Clippers would get another solid performance from their All-Star duo of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, who both continued their stellar play as of late. Leonard would drop 21 points and add in 6 assists, while Harden would finish with a near double-double of 25 points and 9 assists.

Leonard’s Stellar Offensive Stretch

Leonard’s performance over the past month has been perhaps the best offensive stretch since his first year in Los Angeles back in 2019-20. The two-time Finals MVP is currently averaging 28 points per game in January, while shooting an efficient 50% from the field during that stretch.

Leonard’s stellar play has also saved the Clippers season, as Los Angeles has gone from 6-21 through the first 27 games of the season, to now 22-26 and just 4 games back of the Golden State Warriors for the 8th seed. The only area of the game that the Clippers would struggle in on offense was in their bench scoring.

Los Angeles would only get 27 points from their second unit, as the Nuggets’ bench thoroughly outplayed them. 4 of the 5 starters would finish in double figures for the Clippers, while no bench player would crack 10 points for the team in the loss.

Current Standings and Upcoming Games for Both Teams

Following tonight’s win, the Denver Nuggets are now knocking on the door of the 2nd-place spot in the Western Conference standings, as they sit just a game back of the San Antonio Spurs for that spot.

While the Nuggets will have to hope for the Spurs to stumble, they can also begin to exert some pressure on the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder as well. Denver will face off against the defending champion Thunder on Sunday, with a win against OKC putting the Nuggets just 4 games back of the number one spot.

Conclusion

For the Clippers, they’ll stay put for the time being at the 10th-place position, as they remain one game back of the Portland Trail Blazers for 9th-place. Los Angeles will also have a quick turnaround for their next game, as they’ll travel to the desert to take on the Phoenix Suns in what should be an exciting game on Sunday.