Clippers nip Nuggets for 6th win in row
Blake Griffin recorded 20 points and 12 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers notched their sixth consecutive victory, a 109-104 win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Montrezl Harrell added 18 points and eight rebounds as the Clippers won for the 12th time in 15 games. Lou Williams scored 17 points as his streak of 13 consecutive 20-point outings came to an end, while Wesley Johnson and Milos Teodosic tallied 15 points apiece for Los Angeles.
Gary Harris scored 19 points and Nikola Jokic added 18 for the Nuggets, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Will Barton scored 17 points for Denver, and Mason Plumlee registered season highs of 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Denver committed 21 turnovers, but the Clippers were also sloppy with 20 miscues as they helped keep the Nuggets in range.
Los Angeles held a 105-98 lead after Johnson's 3-pointer with 1:58 left, but the Nuggets maneuvered within 106-104 on two free throws by Barton with 16 seconds to go. Griffin then missed two free throws with 15.4 seconds remaining to give Denver the chance at completing the comeback.
However, Barton lost the ball while driving toward the hoop with five seconds left. Sindarius Thornwell split two free throws and Johnson made two to seal Los Angeles' victory.
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (ankle) missed his third straight game, while Denver guard Jamal Murray (concussion) sat out after being injured on Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Nuggets were on top by 12 after Jokic's 3-pointer early in the third quarter before Los Angeles used a 14-1 run to take a 66-65 lead on Griffin's dunk with 6:58 left. Denver answered with a 14-3 burst to take a 79-69 lead before the Clippers rolled off 11 straight to briefly lead before the Nuggets took an 81-80 edge into the fourth quarter.
Emmanuel Mudiay's basket gave Denver an 87-82 lead before Los Angeles scored eight straight and took a three-point lead on Harrell's three-point play with 8:43 to play. Barton's basket with 4:30 left knotted the score at 96 before Teodosic drained the go-ahead 3-pointer five seconds later.
Harris scored 15 first-half points, and Denver led 59-50 at the break.
--Field Level Media
