The LA Clippers battled hard, but lost their sixth game in a row, losing a close game to the Denver Nuggets, 111-108. Although the Nuggets are the defending champions, this game was winnable: The Clippers had a seven point lead in the fourth quarter and got solid games from James Harden and Paul George. But, alas, it was all for naught.

Summary

The first quarter was just about as even as one will see: the largest lead held by the Clippers was four, while the Nuggets only mustered a three point lead, and there were five ties. Paul George got off to a hot start, putting up 12 points in just eight first-quarter minutes. He was joined by James Harden, who had an efficient nine points through the full quarter. The Nuggets were led by—who else?—Nikola Jokic, who was not efficient but put up 11 points and had four assists.

The Clippers found themselves down eight at the half because of poor shooting (33% from the field in the second quarter). They also let Reggie Jackson go off for 10 points in the quarter, who started in place of the injured Jamal Murray (Reggie was also given a shout-out by Coach Malone). Notably, PJ Tucker again posted a negative plus-minus (-12), highlighting the Clippers’ struggle with size and general performance coming off the bench in the first half.

James Harden answered Reggie’s big quarter with one of his own, putting up 10 points and three assists after the half. Ultimately, the Clippers were able to tie the game by the end of the third quarter, 84-84. The Nuggets got steady contributions from Jokic, Reggie, and Porter but the Clippers were able to hold them to just 24 points as a team.

To start the fourth quarter, Paul George—who had 20 points in the first half—picked up where Harden fell off. PG finished with 35 points, 12 of which were scored in the final frame. The whole quarter was a rock fight, though the Nuggets won this game because the Clippers were too small; partly because Plumlee is hurt and all of the forwards were traded, but also Head Coach Ty Lue decided not to play Zubac to close the game. This decision was roundly criticized by Clippers Nation on Twitter, and the complaints feel justified.

After all, the Clippers were outscored 58-34 in the paint in a game they lost by just three.

Notes

Paul George is the Only Good Clipper: Paul George has been the best Clipper this year, including tonight. He had 35 points, 7 rebounds, three assists, and three steals (and only one turnover!). PG still makes confusing decisions, but he has shown that he is physically capable of being a dominant player (he just need to be more consistent cerebrally). Unfortunately, that cannot be definitively said about any other player on this roster. Kawhi had just 15 points (4/15 from the field), two rebounds, and two assists. To be fair, though, he did have five steals, one of which helped the Clippers cut the deficit down to one point late in the game.

Terance Mann Needs to be Featured: Mann did not score tonight, but had six rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes. Nonetheless, even those nice non-scoring stats were not enough to highlight his impact, as Lucas pointed out on Twitter. He is still a hustle player who wins 50/50 balls and creates plays out of nothing (e.g., four offensive rebounds tonight). Going forward, Ty Lue will need to find him more opportunities, including chances to score.

Clippers lose sixth straight, 111-108, in Denver
Kenneth Armstrong

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the LA Clippers have acquired Bones Hyland from the Denver Nuggets for their 2024 and 2025 second round picks:

Hyland, the 26th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, had a breakout rookie season in 2021-22 where he was named to the All-Rookie team and brought a useful scoring punch off of Denver’s bench, gathering hype for some highlight play including very high-degree-of-difficulty three-point shooting.

But Bones’ second season in Denver was underwhelming, as his assist-to-turnover ratio and efficiency on shots inside the three-point arc both decreased. On the defensive end of the floor, he has been an absolute disaster so far in his career, and the inconsistent offensive efficiency left him on the outside of Denver’s rotation in recent weeks. The Nuggets were 18.5 points per 100 possessions worse with Bones on the floor this season than off, a staggering number. Still, the upside of his scoring punch is notable: he has 7 games with 20 or more points in 41 appearances off the bench this season (and one 20-point game in his only start).

Overall, the Clippers’ need for a serious guard reshuffle created an opportunity for Hyland to find a place on this team as they shed multiple veteran guards who were outside of their rotation. It seems most likely that Bones is a future developmental piece as opposed to someone who will play a significant amount of minutes in the final stretch of this season and the 2023 NBA Playoffs. At 22 years old, he makes just 2.2 million this year and has 2 additional years remaining on his contract at $2.3M and $4.2M, giving the Clippers plenty of time to let him come along at his own pace. While he isn’t slated to be a major contributor this season, it’s an injection of youth and talent that the team sorely needs as they think about the medium-term timeline. I’m a fan of this upside play at the low cost of 2 future 2nd round picks.

Hit the comments below to share your thoughts on the Bones trade and how he fits into the new-look Clippers after their deadline moves!

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NBA Trade Deadline: Clippers Acquire Bones Hyland
Lucas Hann

The LA Clippers were physically in Denver to play the Nuggets on Thursday, but they did not come to compete. A bad start got worse, until Ty Lue waved the white flag early by benching the starters to begin the 3rd quarter.

Before we get to the summary, a few follow ups to our preview: First, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George did in fact play despite being listed as questionable earlier this week. Second, Nicolas Batum did not play due to his ankle sprain and John Wall was out, likely because he is playing tomorrow. Third, the sophomores (Boston and Preston) traveled and played in garbage time.

Summary

There is not much to say about this game: In the first quarter, the Clippers shot 19%—only putting up 15 points—and were down by as much as 19. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were a combined 0/7 from the field, while Jamal Murray had 13 by himself on 5/6 shooting to start the game.

The Clippers barely beat their first quarter production in the second frame, putting up 17 points and only improving their overall field goal percentage to 27%. Amazingly, Nikola Jokic only had three points through two quarters, but so too did Paul George, and Kawhi only had six.

The Clippers technically won the second half but that is a purely academic statistic: The game was over at half time, and the TNT crew let the Clippers have it. Kenny Smith, in particular, argued that the Clippers’ approach (including the organization’s arrogance) was not going to work, as evidenced by tonight’s game. Role definitions, coaching, and the offensive scheme are all a mess right now, just as they highlighted. And they were right.

No one on the Clippers deserves praise from this game. It was that ugly. For the Nuggets, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Bones Hyland were the bright spots. But this was basically a scrimmage for the Nuggets, so it is hard to take much away from it on their end either.

Notes

19 Losses: The LA Clippers will have their 41st game Friday, which represents the halfway mark of the season. After this Nuggets’ game, the Clippers are 21-19 and have lost four in a row, which puts them in the sixth seed for the moment. This is basically the danger zone: Only the top six seeds have a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, so any further regression will put them in the play-in, again. Although the Western Conference is pretty bunched up, the Clippers’ recent struggles have almost certainly boxed them out of earning a top-three seed. That means they have a very slim chance of having home court advantage in the first round, much less later in the postseason.

What’s up with Ty Lue?: After the game, Ty Lue gave platitudes but it is hard to decipher what he is actually thinking right now. He might have said “[w]e’ve got to be better” a dozen or so time in five minutes. Uh, yeah. How the team will get better or what specifically needs to be fixed was not offered, of course. On one hand, Ty Lue can only do so much with a roster that is so guard-heavy. On the other hand, some of his rotations have been questionable (as have been highlighted several times on this blog) and he has refused to make a decision about which guard will be out of the rotation—a decision that has to be made at some point, unless there is a trade. His proclivity to play super-small lineups is influenced by the amount of guards on the team, but he could also simply decide not to play every guard and mix in Covington or Moussa instead.

Does Zubac want to be an All Star?: Early in the season, Ivica Zubac was one of the best defensive bigs in the league and was averaging a double-double. He’s still a defensive force at times, but his impact on the game has been muted lately. Specifically, in November, Zubac averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds on 62% from the field. In December, he was down to 9-9.9. Although he is playing five more minutes per game than last year, he is averaging the same amount of points (10.2) and only two more rebounds. There are fewer opportunities for him now that Kawhi is back in the lineup more often, but he needs to assert himself more if he wants to be an All Star or, more importantly, if he wants to help the team win games. He has only scored more than twenty points twice, while he’s had several games with single-digit points. If Zubac continues to be a non-factor, he might end up being the backup to a better center after all.

That about does it for this recap of the Clippers’ loss against the Nuggets. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Pathetic: Clippers crushed by Nuggets, 122-91
Kenneth Armstrong

The Clippers have lost three in a row and are once again having to plan around the availability of stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. After a couple of days off, the Clippers head to Denver for the first game of a back-to-back against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets—the top seed in the Western Conference. Check out our preview below.

Game Information

Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: TNT

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Terance Mann – Paul George* – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac
Note: as indicated below, PG is questionable. Norm Powell or Nicolas Batum may start in his spot if he and Kawhi do not play.

Nuggets: Jamal Murray – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Michael Porter, Jr. – Aaron Gordon – Nikola Jokic

Injuries

Clippers: Paul George, Questionable (hamstring); Nicolas Batum, Out (Ankle); Brandon Boston Jr, Out (G-League); Moussa Diabate, Out (G-League); Jason Preston Out (G-League)

Nuggets: Jeff Green, Out (hand); Collin Gillespie, Out (leg)

The Big Picture

At the time of writing, the LA Clippers may have Paul George and/or Kawhi Leonard available—or neither (Editor’s Note: Kawhi is now off the injury report). But the Clippers still have an elite defense even without PG or Kawhi (not to minimize their contributions on that end, of course). The Nuggets, on the other hand, have a bottom-six defense and are twentieth in defensive rebounding.

In theory, the Clippers may be able to lead with their defense: do their best to “handle” Nikola Jokic, limit Murray and Gordon’s impact, and win the bench minutes by a significant margin. For example, the Clippers were without Leonard, George, and Kennard when they played the Nuggets in November. The Clippers lost by 10 points, but they actually won the second half. Jokic and Murray only combined for 40 points, and the Clippers won the non-Jokic minutes by nine points. The problem that game was Aaron Gordon, who scored 29 points on 12/16 shooting.

If the Clippers can replicate this dynamic, and get a significant contribution from Kennard (who did not play in game one) and/or Powell (who only had 11 points), the Clippers will have a chance to steal this game.

The Antagonist

While the Clippers have a path to a win, the forces working against them are significant. In the Ty Lue era, the Clippers are 2-6 against the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic—regardless of who plays for the Clippers—will be the best player on the floor. The Nuggets are 14-3 at home, and have the best record in the Western Conference.

The Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are currently a 6.5 point favorite according to ESPN’s PickCenter Analysis, and rightfully so. The Clippers will have to dig deep to get this win.

Note

Covington Back in the Rotation?: During Wednesday’s media availability, coach Ty Lue said that Covington might see a bigger role in Thursday’s game (h/t Ohm Youngmisuk). From whom Covington will be taking minutes is unknown; hopefully, Terance Mann does not get benched as a result. But if Covington can contribute on defense, rebound, and be thoughtful with his shot selection, it will be nice to have him back in the rotation.

That about does it for this preview of the super short handed Clippers’ game against the Blazers. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Clippers vs. Nuggets Game Preview
Kenneth Armstrong

The Summer Clippers lost again tonight, officially ending their pursuit of the 2022 Summer League Championship. The Denver Nuggets defeated them, 80-75, to improve to 2-1 and stay in contention as the Clippers fell to 1-2 on the week.

Clippers rookie Moussa Diabate didn’t play due to a minor ankle injury suffered last night against the Los Angeles Lakers, though the team left the door open for his potential return. The rest of the Clippers’ key players did suit up again with a normal minutes load on the second night of the back-to-back. With Diabate sidelined and no third center on the roster, the Clippers played small on the second unit behind Reggie Perry. Overall, it was a pretty rough and uneventful game, but let’s check in on some key names:

• Jason Preston had probably his worst game of Summer League, as it felt like he had very little impact on the team’s offense as it sputtered severely at the hands of Brandon Boston and Jay Scrubb. In both other games, he had strong opening shifts as a floor general but faded into the background as the night went on. Tonight, it felt like he never even really established himself.
• I wrote last night that Brandon Boston had an encouraging game despite struggling to finish around the rim because he handled the ball well and had good drives, just didn’t finish. I was less impressed tonight, as he struggled once again from the floor to finish with 8 points on 3-15 shooting. He needs to be stronger on the ball, but also probably develop that off-ball game offensively so that more of his shots don’t come out of isolation possessions. Like Preston, this was his worst performance yet.
• Jay Scrubb “led” the way offensively with 18 points, but the outlook as an NBA player still isn’t good. Very little of what he does on the floor is translatable to the next level. Mostly, his game consists of out of control drives that lead to misses, turnovers, or free throws–and against NBA defenders who are less foul-prone, the last category is going to get cut out. A lot of his turnovers were ugly tonight, and his off-ball defense is exceptionally porous. It’s possible that he was still a net positive in this game, just because the offense was so anemic and he earned 9 free throws, but it felt like 20 possessions of Scrubb playing 1-on-5 was part of the reason why the team never established their team offense.
• Xavier Moon continued to do Xavier Moon things, with 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in 16 minutes as the backup point guard. I don’t think we’re learning much new about him this week, but I think he’s had a positive impact on each game just from a poise/professionalism standpoint.

• Reggie Perry got the start at center with Diabate out, and I was a little disappointed–he seemed to mostly be playing for himself instead of trusting that he could have a positive impact playing within the team concept. That’s one of the tricky aspsects of Summer League, as free agents like Perry are (rightfully) more concerned with showing scouts what they can do on an individual than trying to win the game in front of them. As a result, he only played 21:33 on a night where he easily could have cleared 30 minutes as the only big on the team, and Shaun Fein chose to go small to close the game. I’m indifferent to Perry at this point: I do think he’s a good two-way contract candidate next year, but I don’t think he fits the skillsets LAC needs at the end of their bench.
• One guy who I am growing much more interested in from a Clipper perspective is Jarrell Brantley, who started at power forward tonight and also saw some time at center, finishing with 6 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. He was the best player on the floor for LA in this one and showed a much more developed feel for the game offensively than we’ve seen from him so far via a few really impressive passing reads. He’s undersized (but strong) for a PF, an older two-way candidate at 26, and has struggled with his three-point shot in the G-League and internationally… but from an intangible perspective, he seems to fit really well into the “connector” role that the Clippers like their 4s to play offensively while being an adept defender with good hands. I’m not locked in here due to the height/age/shooting concerns but he’s simply been good enough that I’d hope he has an opportunity to come to training camp (which he might decline if the outlook for winning a roster spot is bleak and he has money waiting on the table in Europe).
• Cameron Reynolds gave the Clippers a nice and much-needed scoring punch off the bench with 11 points on 4-8 shooting, and could be another candidate if the Clippers are looking to fill a two-way spot with a forward. Despite being taller than Brantley, he has much more of a wing’s game to Brantley’s undersized PF skillset–and while he is definitely a better shooter, he’s actually even older at 27.
• Justin Bean got his first real playing time on an Exhibit 10 deal, pressed into duty in Diabate’s absence, and while I can see all of the attributes that intrigued me about his game on the scouting report (good rebounder, smart cutter), I just don’t think he’s an NBA-level athlete. It’s a harsh verdict from 17 minutes of Summer League action but I’m aligned with the likely reality that he won’t last with the team until training camp. Elsewhere in Exhibit 10 land, Michael DeVoe got another turn as the backup shooting guard and, again, looked mostly lost, while Lucas Williamson picked up a DNP. My official prediction is that the Clippers cut all three after Summer League so they can bring other guys to camp.

The Summer Clippers will now take Thursday off before returning to action in their final preliminary game Friday afternoon at 2pm Pacific. That game, against the 2-1 Utah Jazz, will be on ESPN2 and played in the Thomas & Mack Center. Hopefully Moussa Diabate will return to the lineup, although if there is any doubt with his ankle it is best for the team to play it safe and hold him out. After Friday’s bout with the Jazz, they’ll play one last consolation game, either on Saturday or Sunday, to round out their 2022 Summer League campaign.

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Summer League: Clippers lose again to Nuggets, 80-75
Lucas Hann

The Clippers were so close to reassembling their full roster (aside from Paul George and, of course, Kawhi Leonard)—and then we got the news that Nicolas Batum was heading into health and safety protocols. Then, Marcus Morris was ruled out for personal reasons. Either of those two would have been nice to have in this overtime thriller, but unfortunately this type of news is standard for this season. The Clippers ended up starting: Reggie, Terance, Amir, Serge, and Ivica. Luke Kennard did in fact come back, at least, playing 27 minutes off the bench.

Summary

The Clippers started a little slow and sloppy, but would finish the first quarter down by only four (29-25) after being down by as many as nine. Ivica Zubac was hot early, going 4/5 from the field (eight points). Jokic, of course, led the Nuggets with nine of his own. Denver also established their perimeter shooting early, with five made threes (out of 11 attempts).

In second period, the Clippers started to take control of the game, eventually taking a 12 point halftime lead after winning the frame 34-18. The Clippers bench—especially Hartenstein, Boston, and Winslow—took advantage of the non-Jokic minutes. At half, Reggie led both teams in scoring with 15 (6/9 from the field).

After halftime, the Nuggets returned the favor, erasing the Clippers lead and tying it up going into the fourth quarter. Although the Clippers scored 22 in the third, they went over seven minutes without hitting a field goal (H/T Adam Auslund). Eric Bledsoe finished the quarter strong, though, hitting two threes and another shot to keep the Clippers in it.

But the Nuggets forced Ty Lue into an early fourth quarter timeout after starting the final frame with a 5-0 run. The rest of the quarter was a seesaw until the Clippers went on a 18-7 run to take an eight point lead with four minutes to play in regulation (H/T Andrew Grief). Jokic continued to get to the free throw line (he finished the game with 14 FTA), and the Nuggets worked their back back into it. Reggie had 10 fourth quarter points on 5/9 shooting—including taking it right to Jokic several times.

The Nuggets eventually edged out the Clippers in overtime after a perfect, cross-court pass from Jokic found Aaron Gordon (a 32% three point shooter) in the corner for the game winner. Reggie Jackson nearly hit a half court stunner after the Nuggets gifted the Clippers a few seconds to draw up a play during a technical shot, but it was just a little strong off the backboard.

Notes

Ivica Zubac, the Beast: Zubac finished the game with a career-high 32 points (on 15/19 from the field), along with 10 rebounds (6 offensive), three assists, a block and a steal. What’s more, he was finishing tough shots around the rim, hitting floaters, and even took the ball coast-to-coast in transition. At the very least, this was an awesome test for Zu, taking on Jokic (who had 49 points of his own) at both ends of the floor, which he passed with flying colors.

Brandon Boston, team-leader in +/-: Boston was +16 in his 27 minutes and scored 16 points (6/13 FG, 4/7 3P). He had a few ill-advised shot attempts and defensive breakdowns, but was part of the second quarter scoring burst and had 10 points in the 4th and overtime. These reps will be huge for his development and confidence.

Watch out for this Last Two-Minute report: The Clippers were only granted 12 free throws all game; Nuggets got 25. Jokic himself took 16. After the game, Ty Lue hinted that he was holding back from expressing how he felt about the game. Corey Maggette, free from threat of NBA fines for criticizing the officiating, filled in some of the gaps, saying that the free throw discrepancy was likely a source of frustration.

That does it for our recap of this overtime thriller in Denver. The Clippers will take on the 76ers in Philly on Friday. Until then, check out our site and podcast for more news and analysis.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Recap: LA Loses Overtime Thriller
Kenneth Armstrong

The Clippers take on the Denver Nuggets for the third time this season on Wednesday night, but it will be their first road trip to Denver. The season series is split though two games—and the average margin of victory is just 2.5. In December, the Clippers’ late game comeback fell short; in January, though, they got the job done, coming back from down 25.

The Clippers have a chance to get back to .500, but the Nuggets will have the talent advantage and home court this time around.

Game Information

Where: Pepsi Center, Denver CO

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: ESPN, Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Amir Coffey – Marcus Morris – Nicolas Batum – Ivica Zubac

Nuggets: Monté Morris – Will Barton – Aaron Gordon – Jeff Green – Nikola Jokić

Injuries

Clippers: Questionable: Luke Kennard (reconditioning); Out: Paul George (elbow), Keon Johnson (G-League), Kawhi Leonard (knee), Jason Preston (foot), Jay Scrubb (G-League).

Nuggets: Questionable: Austin Rivers (illness), Out: JaMychal Green (protocols), Bol Bol (foot), Vatko Cancar (foot), Michael Porter Jr. (back), PJ Dozier (knee), Jamal Murray (knee).

The Big Picture

The Clippers have been a rollercoaster as of late: In 2022, they have beaten the Durant and Harden led Nets on the road and pulled off a 25-point comeback against the reigning MVP. On the other hand, they have lost to three teams below them in the standings (T’Wolves, Pelicans, and Spurs).

The good news is that the Clippers are slowly starting to reassemble: Isaiah Hartenstein is back after missing almost a month and Luke Kennard is *just about* back after two weeks in protocols. Neither Hartenstein nor Kennard were available for the epic comeback, so—in theory—the Clippers should be able to avoid going down 25 points in the first place, even if Luke is not quite back.

Another source of cautious optimism is that the Clippers seem to be learning how to play without Paul George (well, we at least have the data suggesting how the Clippers should play). Amir Coffey has taken on more responsibility in respect to scoring and playmaking, Eric Bledsoe has established himself as a steading force, who Ty Lue can (and more often should) turn to when the Clippers offense is stagnant, and, with guys coming back from protocols and injuries, we will at least see fewer minutes from fringe NBA guys. Admittedly, these are small hooks on which to hang one’s hat, but they are positive developments nonetheless.

The Antagonist

The bad news is Nikola Jokić is still really good, and the Nuggets are 11-8 at home (the Clippers are 7-11 on the road). The Clippers needed a herculean effort to beat them by 2 points last week, which almost certainly won’t happen again. Moreover, the Clippers needed 32 second-half points from Nico Batum to beat the beleaguered Pacers at home. The Clippers will need more even production from Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris, Sr., in addition to Amir continuing his recent high production. This small margin for error has been tough for the Clippers to manage as of late, and it will be again on this road trip.

Notes

• Grammys Road Trip: The Clippers are about to start an eight-game road trip. They are currently eighth in the West (22-23), one loss behind the Lakers, two behind the Nuggets, and are only ahead of the Timberwolves (who have 22 losses) in the standings because they’ve played more games. This Nuggets game is much more winnable than some others on this road trip, so the Clippers need to chase this one, even if they’re down late.
• Paul George Injury Update: According to Woj/ ESPN, the Clippers are extending George’s rest window. We do not really know if this is truly an update on the status of his elbow injury—only that he will not be coming back on the early end of the initial 4-6 week projection.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Game Preview: Road Trip Begins
Kenneth Armstrong

The L.A. Clippers (21-21) roared back from a 25-point deficit in the third quarter to stun the Denver Nuggets (20-19), 87-85, Tuesday night. Amir Coffey was sensational in a game-high 43 minutes, leading the way for LA with 18 points (6-11 FG, 3-7 3PT, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, a career-high seven assists, and four steals. Eric Bledsoe spurred the Clippers’ comeback effort in the second half, adding in 11 points, three boards, nine assists, and three steals off the bench. Nikola Jokić was elite for Denver with 21 points (9-14 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds, and eight assists. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Nuggets game recap.

Summary

The first quarter was one to forget for both teams as the bricks piled up early. LA and Denver combined for 14-for-44 from the field and 1-for-17 from deep — an Amir Coffey 3 with 1:12 left. Outside of Nikola Jokić being masterful both one-on-one in the post and hitting guys in positions to score, both teams kind of just exchanged bricks before eventually getting easy ones on the occasion where the opposition was late to recover. On the bright side, despite Ivica Zubac exiting with foul trouble early, the Clippers held up relatively well both on the glass and defensively. Coffey was easily the best Clipper on the floor here, leading the team with a team-high seven points, making impressive reads on passes, and being nearly perfect on defense outside of giving up one backdoor layup to Monte Morris. After one, the Nuggets held an 18-16 lead.

In an NBA game in 2022, the score was 41-28 at the half. Here’s what happened. At this point, it was quite clear that, as advertised, these were two great defensive teams, but also two putrid offenses. Although the Nuggets were shooting the ball at below a league-average level here, the Clippers were even worse. Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr. were whisper quiet from the field here as well, while Zubac found himself on the pine once again after picking up his third foul less than 90 seconds into the frame. LAC actually led by two early on in the frame, but the Nuggets soon went on an 8-0 run despite Jokić being out. With Jokić back in, the Nuggets’ starters steadily marched their way to a 13-point lead at the break.

Things quickly went from bad to rock bottom to start the third as with Jackson and Zubac continuing to be devoid of any rhythm whatsoever, the Nuggets began to shoot the ball like a professional basketball team. After being down by as much as 25, however, Tyronn Lue went to an Eric Bledsoe-Terance Mann-Coffey-Nicolas Batum-Morris Sr. lineup that changed the game. By virtue of a 21-3 run, the Clippers’ intensity ramped up as the Nuggets’ focus began to dwindle. Bledsoe’s energy appeared to be just the shot in the arm the Clips needed as Mann, Coffey, Batum, and Morris Sr. picked it up on drastically on both ends. Frustrating Jokić and Denver to the tune of seven errors in the period, the Clippers found themselves down just 66-55 heading to the final frame.

With Brandon Boston Jr. and Serge Ibaka in to give Batum and Morris Sr. some rest, the Clippers kept their foot on the gas pedal against Denver’s bench with a swift 7-0 run to force Michael Malone to signal time. After about another minute went by, and with LAC within two, Jokić checked back in for the rest of the game. With a bit more time needed to burn off the clock before Batum and Morris Sr. could check back in, Bledsoe and the suddenly-engaged Jackson stepped it up with some timely baskets to keep things level. With 4:24 left to play and Denver up by three, the Bledsoe-Jackson-Coffey-Batum-Morris Sr. lineup simply clutched up. Although he was able to find Aaron Gordon for some easy looks, Jokić did not have a fun time at the end of this one (see: Reggie Jackson poster below). Going 1-for-4 from the field to close, the Clippers’ small-ball unit did just enough to throw the reigning MVP off his stuff and secure a much-much-needed, oh-so-dramatic win.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Game Notes

• Bravo, Amir Coffey: It all came together once again for Amir Coffey tonight, who was effective on both ends. Disrupting passing lanes, using his size and speed to make switches on the fly, hitting teammates in stride, finishing in traffic, and knocking down open threes, Coffey is seriously showing out as of late.
• Rotation Adjustments: With the Clippers getting waxed in the first half, one of the strangest things that jumped off of the box score was Eric Bledsoe playing just six minutes and 50 seconds despite tallying as many assists as Reggie Jackson (17:10) in that short span. Well, hats off to Ty Lue and his staff tonight. They coached their asses off the rest of the way despite the team being outrebounded 56-31. With a nine-man rotation — including putting rookie Brandon Boston Jr. in situations to contribute — the minutes were given to the guys who were playing well, the team effectively mixed in their zone schemes, and timeouts were taken at just the right times to give guys breathers, draw up ATOs, and make crucial subs.
• Big Govy Does it Again: Speaking of big coaching decisions, Lue went with a cold Reggie Jackson to close over Terance Mann and was immensely rewarded for it. Much deliberation will have to continue regarding Jackson’s rough starts, as well as his skill set perhaps being not needed as much as Bledsoe’s with the stars being out, but tonight’s fourth-quarter showing from him was nothing short of special to watch.

Up Next: The Clippers will visit the Smoothie King Center to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans for the third time this season on Thursday, Jan. 13, at 5:00 p.m. PT.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Recap: Clips Rally From 25 Down
Ralston Dacanay

In another critical midseason matchup in which both teams are shorthanded, the L.A. Clippers (20-21) host the Denver Nuggets (20-18) Tuesday night. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Nuggets game preview.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
When: 7:30 p.m. PT
How to Tune in: NBA TV, Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570 KLAC, KWKW

Projected Starting Lineups:
L.A. Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Amir Coffey – Nicolas Batum – Marcus Morris Sr. – Ivica Zubac
Denver Nuggets: Monte Morris – Austin Rivers – Aaron Gordon – JaMychal Green – Nikola Jokić

Injury Report:
L.A. Clippers: Paul George – OUT (Right Elbow UCL Tear), Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (Left Ankle Sprain), Luke Kennard – OUT (Health & Safety Protocols), Kawhi Leonard – OUT (Right Knee; ACL – Injury Recovery), Jason Preston – OUT (Right Foot – Injury Recovery), Justise Winslow – OUT (Health & Safety Protocols)
Denver Nuggets: Will Barton – OUT (Health & Safety Protocols), Vlatko Cančar – OUT (Right Foot Surgery), P.J. Dozier – OUT (Left Knee; ACL – Surgery), Markus Howard – OUT (Left Knee Sprain), Jamal Murray – OUT (Left Knee; ACL – Injury Recovery), Michael Porter Jr. – OUT (Lumbar Spine Surgery)

The Big Picture

As is life for the Clippers this season, the mission at hand remains simple — try to give yourself a chance to win on a nightly basis. In the team’s back-to-back set over the weekend, we’ve pretty much seen the best-and-worst-case scenarios of what this version of the Clippers is capable of. LAC was heavily outmatched by the surging Grizzlies on Saturday but bounced right back by blowing out a disappointing Atlanta team less than 24 hours later. Without the 213 star duo, the Clippers have shown that their best right now just isn’t enough on certain nights, but the effort level has surely been there consistently.

A case in which the lack of the Clippers’ top-end talent felt insurmountable was on Dec. 26, when Denver came in and took a hard-fought 103-100 win in DTLA. That was the first game the Clippers played after receiving the news about Paul George’s elbow, and as the clear best player on the floor, Nikola Jokić stole the show down the stretch. However, with the emergence of Amir Coffey, as well as Marcus Morris Sr. and Eric Bledsoe finding their grooves, there’s good reason to believe LAC should be able to hold their ground this time.

The Antagonist

Ultimately, the story remains sadly similar for both of these teams at the moment. While each would undoubtedly be able to contend for Western Conference supremacy at full strength, for now, they’ll continue to try and just give themselves a chance for a spot come playoff time.

It’s been just over two weeks since these two undermanned teams last jumped it up, and unfortunately, things haven’t gotten much better health-wise for either side. The Nuggets were without Aaron Gordon last time they faced LAC, but will essentially be swapping him in for Will Barton tonight, who entered Health and Safety Protocols on Monday. As such, Denver will have to channel that oh-so-familiar “next man up” mentality, likely slotting one of Facundo Campazzo or Austin Rivers into the opening backcourt spot, while depending on Bones Hyland and Davon Reed to deliver once again off the bench.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Game Notes

• Start Bled Over Reg?: We’ve long discussed the center battles this season, but how about at the PG1 spot? As covered in the latest episode of TLTJTP, with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard out, Eric Bledsoe’s downhill, facilitating skillset is especially needed. Reggie Jackson, who unquestionably makes more sense as a starter with a fully healthy squad, has struggled a bit to get his shot going when taking on an elevated role and workload in the offense. While the starting lineup will likely not need to make a change for at least a few more games, it’s certainly an interesting thing to track, especially from a minutes distribution standpoint. On Sunday against the Hawks, Bledsoe did play more than Jackson despite coming off the bench and was in complete control of the offense. Ultimately, having the minutes go more towards the guy who’s having the better game is the key thing.

• The Joker: You likely don’t need me to outline that the reigning MVP of the association, Nikola Jokić, is a problem. Well, just like with the James Hardens and the Luka Dončićs of the world, you might not be able to stop them one-on-one, but you can’t also have them getting other guys involved. The last time the two teams met, Jokić nailed some big shots, but also made the Clippers pay when they sent extra bodies on him. Barton being out means there’s one less major weapon for Jokić to go to, but Rivers, Reed, and Monte Morris are just a few of the names making up Denver’s depth of steady, capable contributors active tonight.
• James Ennis “Revenge” Game: As an alum of Long Beach State, it was fun to see Ennis III on this squad for the handful of games he was here. Him not sticking around for the red and blue certainly makes sense given the amount of wings LAC has back now, but that doesn’t take away the fact that the man has now gone from playing against the team for the Nets, playing for the team against the Nets, and playing against the team again in the same season. That is also coupled with the Nuggets reportedly also adding DeMarcus Cousins to a roster already with Rodney McGruder, JaMychal Green, and Jeff Green. Tonight should be fun.

Feel free to stick around and chat down below as this article’s comment section will serve as our live game thread tonight against the Denver Nuggets. Sign up for a free account and join the conversation!

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Preview: Battle of the Battered Pt. 2
Ralston Dacanay

The vibes were immaculate at home as the LA Clippers overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to secure their first “win” of the 2021-22 season, 103-102 over the Denver Nuggets Monday night. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Nuggets preseason game recap.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Game Notes

• Center Battle: Third-center watch was in full effect in this one as Isaiah Hartenstein, Harry Giles and Moses Wright all turned in some fine efforts. Perhaps the clear “winner” of the night, however, had to be Hartenstein. No. 55 was as advertised and then some coming in as the first big off the LAC bench, displaying those young legs on multiple rim rattlers, as well as his passing chops and newfound training-camp chemistry with Luke Kennard. Ultimately, Giles (16:04) and Wright (16:58) each played more minutes than Hartenstein (14:29), but mainly after most of the Clippers’ rotation guys began cooling down for the night.

• Justise’s Mobility: Clocking in 25 minutes, the 25-year-old, six-year vet indeed looked healthy. Coming off a hip replacement among several other concerning injuries over the years, as discussed in-depth on TLTJTP, it was an encouraging Clipper debut for Justise Winslow Monday. Starting off as the backup point guard to finishing the game as the small-ball center, Winslow gave a glimpse of the versatility Tyronn Lue has been envisioning his role to be on both ends of the court.

• Mann and Kennard’s Aggression: Terance Mann and Luke Kennard combined for 26 of the Clippers’ 88 field goal attempts against the Nuggets. Although most of their shots were a bit off the mark, which of course doesn’t matter in the preseason, Mann and Kennard set the tone each moment they were out there. Whether it was cutting, picking up the ball-handler or making the extra pass, the off-the-bench duo made process-defining plays all night.

• Young Guys: Unfortunately, Keon Johnson joined fellow rookie Jason Preston (Right Foot Injury) on the sidelines as a late scratch due to a “non-COVID illness.” The members of the Clipper Summer League crew who could suit up, however, all had fun showings. Jay Scrubb looked comfortable out there, being aggressive on size-up, pull-up jumpers and coast-to-coast layups. Outside of open threes refusing to drop, Amir Coffey was steady in a game-high 31 minutes, making timely reads both as a passer and a cutter. Getting the spot start alongside Coffey on the wing, Brandon Boston Jr. showed some flashes once again. Although the referees and Denver vets did him no favors — five personal fouls in 20 minutes — Boston Jr. was a team-high +15 with a confident shooting stroke and handle that continues to make his 51-spot draft night slip look silly. Scoring 12 points (4-5 FG, 3-4 3PT) in 12 minutes, George King wasted zero time out there in the 3-and-D role. Lastly, the aforementioned Moses Wright was fun to watch out there, attacking the rim as one would expect of an ACC Player of the Year award winner.

• DKS: Likely the most tangible takeaway from this one was the Drive, Kick, Swing Clippers’ offensive identity. With 26 assists on the night, the Clippers were relentless in touching the paint, back door-ing napping defenders and pushing the pace to find shooters. The starters got the game rolling with Reggie Jackson knocking down three triples off of Lue-inspired action, and the reserves kept the unselfish play going the rest of the night.

• Up Next: The Clippers will continue their four-game preseason stretch against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. PT.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Nuggets 2021-22 Preseason Game Recap
Ralston Dacanay