Nuggets at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are already without their top scorer Blake Griffin for at least another month and point guard Chris Paul could miss his third straight game when the Denver Nuggets pay a visit Monday night. The Clippers are showing the effects of the absence of both All Stars with losses to a pair of teams out of playoff position the last two games — Dallas and the rival Los Angeles Lakers.
Paul, who is averaging 17.6 points and 9.6 assists, has been struggling with a strained hamstring and tested it out during the pregame of Sunday’s 111-102 loss to the Lakers before being ruled out. The Nuggets dropped a 119-102 decision to the Clippers on Tuesday and have lost the last two contests after winning three in a row – capped by Friday’s 109-108 loss to Atlanta at home. Leading scorers Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari each registered double-doubles in the last setback for Denver, which lost four of its last five on the road. Will Barton is averaging 15.4 points — 22 against the Clippers — while shooting 53.1 percent from the field over the last five games for the Nuggets.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV, Altitude (Denver), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (12-18): Chandler paces six players averaging in double figures scoring at 16.9 while pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game. The Nuggets entered Sunday tied for 27th in the league in turnovers per game (15.6) and last in turnover margin (minus-4), but coach Michael Malone told reporters he sees some improvement of late. “I think Emmanuel Mudiay has done a much better job than he did in the first couple weeks of the season at valuing the basketball,” Malone said. “The other thing is changing the lineup. We have five capable playmakers on the floor.”
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (22-10): Guard J.J. Redick was the only starter to score in double figures on Sunday with 22 points and the 32-year-old has drained 16-of-27 from behind the 3-point arc over the last four games. Veteran guard Jamal Crawford stepped up the last two games with Paul out while recording 26 and 22 points, respectively, and has knocked down 6-of-15 from behind the arc the last four contests. Center DeAndre Jordan has grabbed double-figure rebounds in 13 of the last 15 games, including 10 in Sunday’s loss along with a season-high six assists.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have won six of the last seven meetings, but the Nuggets did win in Los Angeles in February.
2. Los Angeles C Marreese Speights has drained 10-of-21 from 3-point range over the last five contests.
3. Denver F Kenneth Faried notched a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday against the Clippers.