Nuggets hand Clippers third straight loss
LOS ANGELES -- Without three of their starters, the undermanned Los Angeles Clippers couldn't keep pace with the Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton contributed 23 points apiece, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 106-102 victory over the Clippers.
Gallinari also had 11 boards as Denver (13-18) ended a two-game skid.
Jamal Crawford scored 24 points and Austin Rivers added 19 for the Clippers (22-11), who played without injured starters Chris Paul (strained left hamstring), J.J. Redick (sore left hamstring) and Blake Griffin (right knee surgery).
The loss was the third straight for the Clippers.
The Clippers, though, made a game of it in the final quarter. The Clippers grabbed their biggest lead, 91-84, after a bucket inside by Brandon Bass with 7:48 remaining. But Denver slowly clawed its way back, going up 98-95 after a 3-point bucket by Jokic with 2:36 remaining.
After Barton converted for a five-point lead, Crawford cut it back to three on a driving layup at 1:14. A dunk by Jordan sliced the margin to one, but Barton answered with a turnaround jumper with 35 seconds left.
A 10-0 spark to open third allowed the Clippers to slice the Nuggets' 17-point halftime margin to 63-56 after a bucket by Wesley Johnson less than two minutes into the third quarter. However, Denver used several runs of its own to push the deficit back to double digits.
However, Los Angeles closed the third with a 13-3 surge, capped by a 3-pointer by Crawford, to pull within 79-77. The Clippers outscored the Nuggets 31-16 in the third.
The Nuggets cruised to a 63-46 advantage at the break. Gallinari, Jokic and Barton combined (43 points) to almost outscore the Clippers.
Denver benefitted from a strong second quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 40-23. The Nuggets converted 82.4 percent of their shots compared to 38.1 percent in the quarter. Barton delivered 14 points in the period.
The Nuggets finished the half shooting 51.1 percent to 41.5 percent for the Clippers. Overall, the Clippers outshot the Nuggets 46.4 percent to 43.9 percent.
NOTES: Clippers coach Doc Rivers wasn't sure when or if PG Chris Paul (left hamstring strain) and SG J.J. Redick (sore left hamstring) would return when the team opens a three-game trip beginning Wednesday at New Orleans. "You just don't know with hamstrings," Rivers said. "The one thing you do know I think we've all learned over the years is you have to be more cautious than if it was a sprained ankle. With hamstrings, you can't take a chance." ... Nuggets F Wilson Chandler, who came off the bench in all but six of the previous 27 games, is one of the most productive reserves in the NBA. He has scored a team-high 16.9 points per game heading into the contest. All five of Denver's starters were averaging in double figures. ... The Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.