Nuggets
Clippers Outscore Nuggets 38-26 in Third, Hold On for 122-110 Preseason Win
The Clippers beat the Nuggets 122-110 at Intuit Dome, pulling away with a 38-26 third quarter after the two teams were tied through two. LA shot 51.7% from the field and forced 16 Denver turnovers into 27 points, enough to survive a 29-point Nuggets fourth. Both teams are 0-0 in the preseason, so the result carries no standings weight.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightThird quarter decides itDenver and LA were even at 55-58 at halftime, separated by three points.
Denver and LA were even at 55-58 at halftime, separated by three points. The Clippers then put together a 38-26 third quarter, stretching the margin to 96-81 heading into the fourth. Denver answered with a 29-26 fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late after the 15-point swing in the third. LA's biggest lead of the night was 16 points, Denver's biggest was 15, and there were five lead changes in a game that stayed tight until the third-quarter run broke it open.
02Bench players carry the scoring loadTrevon Brazile led all scorers with 22 points off Denver's bench, shooting 8/10 from the field and 3/4 from three in…
Trevon Brazile led all scorers with 22 points off Denver's bench, shooting 8/10 from the field and 3/4 from three in 25.4 minutes. Cam Whitmore added 17 points off the bench on 7/13 shooting. For the Clippers, Rui Hachimura scored 16 points on 5/12 shooting with three made threes, Baba Miller added 15 off the bench on 5/6 shooting, and Derrick Jones Jr. and Darius Garland each had 14. Nikola Jokic played just 16.5 minutes, finishing with 5 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists on 1/6 shooting.
03Shooting and turnovers tipped the marginThe Clippers shot 51.7% from the field and 15/33 from three, compared to Denver's 47.7% and 11/33.
The Clippers shot 51.7% from the field and 15/33 from three, compared to Denver's 47.7% and 11/33. Denver was also just 17/30 at the free-throw line while LA went 17/20. Turnovers were the bigger gap: the Clippers committed 11 to Denver's 16, and turned those takeaways into 27 points off turnovers compared to Denver's 17. Denver out-rebounded LA 60-44 and out-scored LA 54-50 in the paint, but it wasn't enough to offset the turnover differential and the three-point shooting gap.
04Bench scoring, balanced attackDenver's bench outscored LA's bench 75-57, led by Brazile and Whitmore, but the Clippers spread scoring across more…
Denver's bench outscored LA's bench 75-57, led by Brazile and Whitmore, but the Clippers spread scoring across more players, with five players in double figures compared to Denver's three. LA also out-assisted Denver 35-29. Both teams had 18 fast-break points. Denver got 7 assists and 6 rebounds from Jokic in limited time, while Jamal Murray was efficient with 14 points on 6/8 shooting in 16.5 minutes, suggesting lighter preseason workloads for Denver's stars.
05What it meansThis was a preseason game, with both teams entering at 0-0, so it has no bearing on the standings.
This was a preseason game, with both teams entering at 0-0, so it has no bearing on the standings. For the Clippers, the win came with contributions from Hachimura, Baba Miller, Jones Jr. and Garland, plus Keaton Wagler's 12 points and Isaiah Jackson's 9 points and 5 rebounds. For the Nuggets, the takeaway is the bench production from Brazile and Whitmore, while Jokic and Murray saw reduced minutes, pointing to a deliberate preseason approach for Denver's core players.
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