Game Information
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch/Listen: ESPN, Fox Sports Prime Ticket, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Nuggets: Jamal Murray – Gary Harris – Will Barton – Paul Millsap – Nikola Jokic
Clippers: Patrick Beverley – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac
Injuries
Nuggets: Bol Bol Out (Foot)
Clippers: None
The Big Picture
The Clippers have righted the ship a little since their first three-game losing streak of the season with two solid wins against the Grizzlies and Suns. They continue to look like a championship-caliber team when fully healthy, even with Paul George struggling with his shot. Meanwhile, new addition Reggie Jackson has fit in excellently off the bench, bringing especially tough defense early on. The Clippers bench has surprisingly struggled this season, but have looked better the past couple games. The Suns and Grizzlies aren’t challenging opponents right now, but they’re not cakewalks either, and the revitalized Clippers bench is a good sign for when the schedule gets more difficult. Sitting at the 3rd spot in the West, the Clippers might be out of range of the top seed, yet are still in good position entering the stretch run.
The Antagonist
The Nuggets have had a season that, record-wise, looks like what was expected before the season. They’re the 2 seed in the West, are on pace for a win total in the high 50s, and have mostly been very good. However, they have not done so in a manner that might have been predicted. Young point guard Jamal Murray, fresh off a max contract extension, has stagnated in his 4th season. Gary Harris, another core player, has continued to regress from his breakout 2018 season. However, Will Barton has stepped up with a fantastic season, and Paul Millsap, while clearly declining, has still been fantastic. Michael Porter Jr. has had issues, but the rookie has looked extremely promising as a scorer, and is lights out when he’s hot. Throughout it all, Nikola Jokic has continued to play at an All-NBA level. The Nuggets might not have the starpower of the other top West teams, but they’re deep and talented.
Notes
Pat Beverley Surging: Much like last season, Patrick Beverley started off the year slow from three, and has heated up to a full boil over the course of the year. After shooting a paltry 15.4% from deep in October, and 32.7% in November, the feisty point guard has hit over 40% of his shots from beyond the arc in each month since, and has raised his overall percentage to a very respectable 37.5. Beverley’s shooting is extremely important around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, and every time he hits a three it draws just a little bit more defense attention away from the Clippers’ superstars. Beverley’s leadership and defense are important, but he does plenty else on the court that is valuable to the Clippers.
Marcus Morris vs. Paul Millsap: Paul Millsap has given the Clippers grief for years, with his stocky frame, defensive smarts, and clever playmaking being a unique and oft-devastating package. Theoretically, Millsap is the type of player who Morris can match up against. Morris is a big, solidly built man himself, and can bang with Millsap in the post while stretching him out of the paint on the other end. If he can play Millsap to a standstill, the Clippers should be in a good position to win the game.
JaMychal Green, Always Contributing: On the surface, JaMychal Green’s stats don’t look great. He’s shooting under 40% from the field, extremely bad for a big man, and just 35% from three. Those stats don’t show his true impact, not even close. First off, he’s the second-best rebounder on the team behind Ivica Zubac (and maybe Kawhi Leonard), and can always be counted upon to bring down big boards. He also plays bigger than his size defensively, helping out around the rim in rotations and banging with centers in the post. Even out on the perimeter, while not swift, Green plays angles smartly and knows where to funnel opposing players. The Clippers just generally play better when he’s out there, and he deserves more minutes.
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