Clippers Dominate Nuggets 117-83, Lead Series 2-1

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Clippers overcame a slow start to dominate the Denver Nuggets 117-83 in Game 3 of their playoff series on Thursday night, giving them a 2-1 lead in the first round.

Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while James Harden contributed 20 points and 9 assists. The Clippers, after losing two nail-biters in Denver, put on a strong performance in front of 17,927 fans at the Intuit Dome.

“It ain’t over because we had a blowout,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We got to come and validate that.”

Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets with a triple-double, scoring 23 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and dishing out 13 assists. However, the Nuggets struggled to find their rhythm, especially after a promising first quarter where they briefly led by seven points.

“This was not good enough. This was not our standard,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said. “Defensively, we have to meet them much better than we did tonight, and I expect we will.”

The Clippers surged ahead in the second quarter, outscoring the Nuggets 35-19, turning a close game into a commanding lead. They dominated the boards 48-38 and hit 18 three-pointers compared to Denver’s seven.

Denver’s bench struggled, contributing only six points, while the Clippers’ reserves outscored them 31-6. The Clippers’ ability to control the game was highlighted as they executed an impressive 23-2 run between the first and second quarters.

“Everybody contributed. It was a great game for us all,” Leonard said. “We got to stay focused and play together and come out with a great mindset Saturday.”

Game 4 is set for Saturday at the flashy Intuit Dome. The pressure is on the Nuggets to respond after a disappointing performance.

“The first two games were very competitive. This game was not,” Adelman reflected. “But you can come back Saturday and you can right a lot of wrongs.”