It was a battle, but the Denver Nuggets could not quite overcome the scrappy Los Angeles Clippers.
It was not until the late fourth quarter when the Clippers started pulling away from the Denver Nuggets. Up until that point, the game had been very close.
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The final score was still close as the Clippers gave the Nuggets their first loss of the preseason beating them 109-103.
By the end, both teams were playing their third units which mainly consisted of rookies and players who will spend the majority of their time in the G League this season.
As one of the announcers put it, neither coach wants to show their cards as these two teams will face off against each other opening night.
As a result, it is safe to assume head coach, Michael Malone, was playing very conservative and saving his best plays and schemes for the first game of the regular season. Deceptive plays to unleash upon Clippers head coach, Doc Rivers, to catch him off guard in about a week.
We also have to keep in mind that Malone only played his starting rotation for one quarter. Had he let them play some extra minutes, the outcome could have been different. However, it is only preseason and there is no sense in risking your best players to injury with the regular season right around the corner.
Montrezl Harrell was a monster for the Clippers in the fourth quarter as he ate the rookie, Thomas Welsh, alive from all angles of the court. Not only was he getting to the rim at will, he was denying Welsh easy scoring opportunities at the same time. Harrell would finish the game with 14 points on 62.5% shooting to go along with seven big time rebounds.
Another player who elevated his game was the back up power forward for Denver in Trey Lyles. Lyles had a remarkably efficient night. He finished with 14 points and was 50% from the field to go along with 10 rebounds notching him a double double.
His five assists were also impressive. If this is what we are going to get on a consistent basis from the stretch four, then I’d say our four spot is already solidified when Paul Millsap moves on from the Mile High.
It is never fun to lose in any sport, but remember, this is only preseason and we will see more of what these two teams are really made of in less than two weeks.