LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers clinched home court for the first round of the NBA playoffs on Monday with a 110-103 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Chris Paul scored 9 of his team’s final 12 points down the stretch after the Clippers trailed 96-90 with a few minutes left in the game. Paul nearly had a triple-double finishing with 17 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds.
“It was 96-90 and Doc [Rivers] called a timeout,” said Paul of the turning point in the game. “We just kept talking, ‘We are going to win the game.’ I think it just shows what we are capable of when we focus, lock in and stick to our principles. In the playoffs, it is not going to be that easy to turn it on and turn it off, so it is always good to win and learn at the same time.”
The Clippers indeed “turned it off,” to start the game. The Nuggets led for most of the first half and went into the locker room up by three. Los Angeles turned up the defense in the second half, especially down the stretch, as they were lead by their “Minister of Defense,” DeAndre Jordan. Jordan dominated both sides of the paint with 20 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks.
“We have so many guys who are unselfish and pass the ball,” said Jordan. “Blake [Griffin] finds me a lot under the basket when he gets doubled. When things like that happen, it is an easy night for me.”
Blake Griffin found his teammates on Monday night as he had eight assists to go with his 22 points and nine rebounds.
“We are playing some of our best basketball right now, and that is big,” said Griffin. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the playoffs. We need to carry that momentum, but it’s going to be a completely different game.”
The Nuggets have been out of the playoffs for a few weeks, but that didn’t stop them from trying to play the role of spoiler against a hot Clippers team who has won six straight.
“Obviously, we are not playing for anything right now but we still want to continue to get better both individually and as a team,” said Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler. “I think it’s important to go out strong and play hard to continue to get better. I think we should just build on that onto the offseason.”
Chandler scored a game-high 32 points knocking down six shots from beyond the arc.
Kenneth Faried had 17 points and 16 rebounds, Randy Foye had 14, and Gary Harris scored 13 for Denver.
Game Notes:
Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari and Jameer Nelson all missed the game for the Nuggets. Chris Paul played in his 81st game of the season, if he plays against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday he will have completed his first 82-game season of his career.
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