The Denver Nuggets visit the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance after a brutal Game 3 loss. The Clippers now lead the first-round series 2-1 and oddsmakers have them as 6-point favorites on their home court.
Kawhi Leonard has been absolutely unstoppable for LA, shooting a ridiculous 60.8% from the floor while averaging 27.3 points per game in the series.
The Nuggets need to bounce back quickly after Thursday’s embarrassing 117-83 defeat.
“It ain’t over because we had a blowout,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue warned. “We got to come and validate that.”
Before the Game 3 disaster, this series had been incredibly tight. The first two games in Denver were nail-biters, decided by just five points combined. Game 1 even went to overtime, while Game 2 came down to the Nuggets missing two potential game-winning three-pointers in the final seconds.
Nuggets interim coach David Adelman isn’t panicking yet.
“The first two games were very competitive. This game was not,” he admitted after the Game 3 blowout. “But you can come back Saturday, and you can right a lot of wrongs.”
Game Details
The teams face off at 6 p.m. ET at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. You can catch the action on TNT or stream it free on Jazz Sports.
Injury Concerns
The Nuggets might be shorthanded with Michael Porter Jr. (shoulder) and Russell Westbrook (foot) both listed as questionable. Center DaRon Holmes II remains out for the season with an Achilles injury.
The Clippers, meanwhile, have a clean bill of health heading into this crucial matchup.
Leonard Leading the Way
Kawhi Leonard has been the difference-maker for LA. In Game 3, he filled the stat sheet with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.
But he wasn’t alone. James Harden added 20 points with 9 assists, while Norman Powell also scored 20. Ivica Zubac nearly had a double-double with 19 points and 9 rebounds.
“Everybody contributed. It was a great game for us all,” Leonard said after the win. “Denver’s a great team. They’ve been here before. We got to still stay focused and play together and come out with a great mindset Saturday.”
Jokic Can’t Do It Alone
Even in defeat, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic has been remarkable. He’s posted back-to-back triple-doubles, bringing his career playoff total to an impressive 20.
In Game 3, Jokic put up 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists. For the series, he’s averaging 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 11.7 assists.
But one man can’t beat a team playing as well as the Clippers are right now.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Clippers have a 60.5% chance of winning Game 4. They’re also 6-0 in their last six home games, while Denver is just 3-6 in their last nine meetings with Los Angeles.
Can the defending champion Nuggets even the series, or will the Clippers take a commanding 3-1 lead? We’ll find out Saturday night.
