Denver Nuggets outlast the Clippers in OT, Nikola Jokic shines

The Denver Nuggets toppled the Los Angeles Clippers 130-128 in overtime on Wednesday night as Nikola Jokic notched his 67th career triple-double in fantastic fashion at home on a cold brisk night in the Mile High City. Ball Arena was cracked open by the third quarter and fans kept the energy flowing through OT.

Joel Embiid previously put his stamp on the MVP race by personally pouring in 50 points of his own against the Orlando Magic earlier in the night in 27 minutes of game time, the fewest in clock history to accomplish such a feat.

Jokic answered the bell against the Clippers, gobbling up 14 rebounds and dishing out his final assist in assassin fashion, as the ever-ready Aaron Gordon sat salivating in the corner to fire in the final 3-pointer and take the wind out of the Clippers’ sails in the mile high air.

Flirting with ejection after drawing a technical foul for yelling at the referee, Jokic finally made a national case to be considered for back-to-back MVP honors as the back-and-forth contest was broadcast on ESPN as the night-cap.

Gordon has flourished under Jokic’s wing, as the two have soared to new heights in 2022, seeing their totals rise along with an NBA-best +10 when Jokic is on the floor. Gordon cut into the Clippers with 28 points and none were more important than the final three.

Gordon saw a whopping 44 minutes of action and kept Denver steady as the floorboards started to creak every time Jokic left the floor. Gordon loves seeing the Clippers, and once again took advantage offensively after scoring 30 against them on 11 Jan. 2022. Gordon’s game can be quiet at times, and his 28 points were a welcome sight for Nuggets fans thirsting for scoring to surround the MVP supernova Jokic with.

From Gordon, to Jeff Green, to Monte Morris, Jokic’s MVP performance allowed a number of players to shine alongside him in the OT win. Morris played a key role in the win as well, logging 46 minutes of his own on the way to a near-matching triple double with Jokic, falling just one rebound and one assist shy on his way to 19 points and a firm handle on the starting point guard position.

Morris had his hands full all night with red hot Reggie Jackson, who poured in 28 points on the night, topping the 26 he put up two days ago against the Indiana Pacers. Jokic would help defensively in the final minutes, stepping up to guard Jackson when he entered the lane. A few questionable shot choices did not deter Morris, as he kept his foot on the gas pedal the entire night.

Jeff Green’s game has remained consistent of late, and Green was money when counted on against the Clippers, scoring 12 points in 33 minutes. Green has notched double-digits in every game but one in January, and clearly works well with Jokic on the floor. Michael Malone has recently expressed interest in keeping either Jokic or Green on the floor at all times, but their chemistry is undeniable when they get the chance to start and play together.

Green and Jokic were tasked with stopping the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac, which turned out to not be an easy one on this night, as Zubac went off with 32 points, a season-high for him, and 10 rebounds. Zubac was frantically searching for answers on the opposite end of the floor in crunch time, as the Clippers would need a challenge from Tyronn Lue to overturn a foul call on Zubac and double teams were a constant on Jokic whenever LA could.

In the end, Jokic proved too much for Los Angeles in a game the Nuggets desperately needed to have as they will no doubt be staving off these very Clippers when it comes to seeding and playoff time. After letting a 25-plus point lead slip away in Los Angeles only days ago, there was little room for error in this OT thriller and Denver’s MVP stepped up.

Now for the Nuggets it’s time to focus on the Memphis Grizzlies and another budding MVP candidate Ja Morant on Friday. Guard play has lit up the Nuggets recently and they will need to be at their best defensively if they hope to slow down the young phenom and his athletic surrounding cast. Hopefully, the friendly confines of Ball Arena can keep the immaculate vibes flowing as the Nuggets look to tame the Grizz.