3 things to watch: Denver Nuggets vs. L.A. Clippers

After getting out of the All-Star break on the right foot, the Nuggets now shift their focus to the Los Angeles Clippers. Here are 3 things to watch as they do.

One down. 24 to go.

With a 114-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks Friday, the Denver Nuggets are moving in the right direction after the All-Star break.

And though the Nuggets started slow, the 10-point margin of victory makes it seem closer than it was. Denver led by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter.

Nikola Jokic led seven Nuggets in double figures, finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Denver also assisted on 32 of its 42 made field goals.

“There were a lot of guys out there playing for each other,” coach Michael Malone said after the win. “Not just playing with each other.”

And while it was a nice way to start the last third of the season, it was just one game. And it came against a Mavericks team playing without Luka Doncic.

Now the Nuggets must shift their focus to a tough Clippers team — who hold the 8-seed in the West at 33-27.

And while they’re playing without Tobias Harris and Boban Marjonovic — who they dealt to Philadelphia at the trade deadline — the Clippers are still fighting (fairly successfully) for their playoff lives.

Here are 3 things to watch as the two teams square off.

Will Isaiah Thomas keep exceeding expectations?

In his first game back from a hip injury that sidelined him for 11 months, IT scored eight points and dished out two assists in just 13 minutes a win over the Kings just before the break. He topped that in his second game against the Mavs, finishing with 16 points, two assists and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

“He looks good. He looks healthy,” Jamal Murray said after the Mavericks game. “He’s getting back into the rhythm and shots are dropping for him. That’s where it starts.”

While Thomas was expected to contribute immediately when he returned, few — if any — expected him to find his rhythm so seamlessly. Especially as he tries to find his spot among a bench unit that has overperformed all season.

“We had a deep bench already, but adding IT in the mix even makes it more deep,” Millsap said. “But with that guys are making the right plays. They’re being unselfish out there, moving basketball. Everyone’s in a really good rhythm.”

What role Thomas will play is unknown. There was talk of him being a high-energy guy in limited minutes off the bench.

And while he’s excelled in that role so far, if he keeps performing like this it will be hard for Malone not to give him more minutes.

Will the Nuggets rebound like they did against the Mavericks?

Three Nuggets players — Jokic, Paul Millsap and Mason Plumlee — finished with 13 rebounds apiece against the Mavericks Friday.

And while it helped that DeAndre Jordan — one of the leagues better rebounders — is no longer with the Mavericks, the Nuggets still showed an intensity on the glass they haven’t had for most of the season.

As a result, they outrebounded the Mavericks 63-42 — one of their largest margins of the season.

“Any time you can outrebound a team by 21 and get 22 second chance points. … That needs to continue,” Malone said.

The Clippers will be without great rebounders in DeAndre Jordan — who manned the paint in L.A. for years before leaving prior to this season — and Boban Marjonovic — who gives the whole league fits at 7’3” but was dealt at the deadline.

Instead, they will be faced with Ivica Zubac — who’s averaging just 6.3 rebounds per game since coming to the Clippers.

How will the new-look Clippers play?

The Clippers have seemingly been overperforming all season. They’ve exceeded most expectations, even holding the top spot in the Western Conference for a couple weeks early in the season.

They eventually cooled off, however, and were slipping ever closer to missing the playoffs before the trade deadline.

And when they dealt Harris and Marjonovic, most — including myself — thought they were throwing in the metaphorical towel, preparing themselves for free agency.

And who knows, they still may be. With both the Lakers and Kings chasing them for the eighth playoff spot, chances are they will find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes time for the postseason.

But it’s not a given. Since wheeling and dealing at the deadline, the Clippers are 3-2 — including an impressive win over the Boston Celtics.

But the Clippers play 14 more teams sitting at or above .500 starting with the Nuggets Sunday.

If the Clippers do sneak into the playoffs, they will have earned it.