The Clippers’ grip on the game began to slip in the second quarter, ultimately forcing them to play catch-up against the Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers followed a career night from Norman Powell and some free throws from James Harden to a 109-104 victory over Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Saturday afternoon at Ball Arena.
Powell was outstanding with 37 points on 14-for-21 shooting from the field, including seven of 11 from three-point range.
Harden had 23 points and 16 assists. His two free throws with 30.5 seconds left gave the Clippers a 105-103 lead.
After Jokic, who had 41 points, made just one of two free throws with 19.7 seconds left, Harden came through for the Clippers.
His two free throws with 14.3 seconds left gave the Clippers a 107-104 lead.
After Jokic missed a three-pointer, it seemed only fitting that Powell secured the game for the Clippers.
He got the defensive rebound, was fouled and made two free throws for the final score, giving the Clippers their first win of the young season.
For a while, it seemed like Powell was having his own one-on-one matchup with Jokic, with the Clippers guard occasionally matching the Nuggets All-Star’s center basket.
Powell had 20 points in the fourth, which was a career high in the regular season.
The Clippers defense was stifled for long stretches of the first half, allowing them to build momentum and build a 42-24 lead.
Then the Nuggets got hot and the Clippers defense wasn’t quite the same, allowing Denver to get back into the game.
By the end of the first half, it had become a game again, with the Clippers holding a six-point lead.
Still, the Clippers were stuck on defense, holding the Nuggets to 29.8% shooting in the first half.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
