Nuggets at Clippers
Two teams with far different plans for next week will meet up Monday when the Los Angeles Clippers host the Denver Nuggets in their second-to-last games of the regular season. The Clippers are attempting to catch the San Antonio Spurs for second place in the Western Conference standings, while the Nuggets were long ago eliminated from playoff contention.
The Nuggets have played the Clippers close this season, however,
beating them in Denver in December and making them sweat out a 102-98
win in Los Angeles in January. The Clippers have won five in a row and 12 of 13 but their only quality win in that stretch came at the Portland Trail Blazers on April 1, a historically difficult place to play. Los Angeles beat the Grizzlies on Saturday, but Memphis lost leading scorer Marc Gasol to an ankle injury during the first quarter and guards Mike Conley and Tony Allen also sat out with injuries. The Grizzlies and Houston Rockets are still battling with the Clippers and Spurs for playoff positioning.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (30-50): It could be interesting to see who Denver puts on the floor following an exhausting weekend in which the Nuggets lost a 144-143 double-overtime game Friday against the Dallas Mavericks and then beat the Sacramento Kings 122-111 on Sunday in their home finale. Ty Lawson didn’t play the second game of a back-to-back last week against the Clippers, a game Los Angeles won by 15 points. Randy Foye will likely lace up against his former team and he has reached double figures in scoring in a season high five straight games.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (54-26): Chris Paul continues to perform like someone intent on getting the Clippers past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since he’s been in Los Angeles. He’s averaging 21 points and 13 assists during the current five-game winning streak while shooting 53.2 percent from the floor. Paul needs to appear in the final two games to appear all 82 regular-season games for the second time in his career.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Clippers C DeAndre Jordan needs 11 rebounds for 1,202 on the season, which would be the most since Kevin Willis tallied 1,258 for the Atlanta Hawks in 1991-92.
2. The Clippers are 13-0 this season when Jordan attempts at least 14 free throws.
3. Nuggets G Jameer Nelson (hip) and F Darrell Arthur (calf) are doubtful for the last two games because of injuries, but have not been officially ruled out.
PREDICTION: Clippers 118, Nuggets 101