Nikola Jokic MVP performance not enough as Los Angeles Clippers survive late game push by Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets visited Crypto.com Arena to face off against the Los Angeles Clippers and they came up short as they were defeated 102-100 despite an MVP performance by Nikola Jokic.

The reigning Finals MVP willed his team all game long and did his best to rally his squad back from a 4th quarter deficit. The Joker was able to cut the gap to just 1 point, but ultimately his efforts came up short as in the final seconds down by 2 he missed a game-winning shot from downtown.

The 6-time All-Star finished with a game-high 36 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists for the Nuggets. Aaron Gordon had 18 points, 6 boards, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 16 points with 4 three-pointers. Michael Porter Jr. recorded 14 points and 9 rebounds while Christian Braun provided 7 points and 8 boards off the bench.

The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard for the 2nd straight game so Paul George took over as he ended with 28 points and 3 steals. James Harden had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists while Ivica Zubac recorded 14 points and 15 rebounds.

The big man played great defense on Jokic down the stretch and hit all 6 of his free throws, which included some clutch shots from the charity stripe in the final minutes of the game. Russell Westbrook (12 points) and Norman Powell (11 points) combined for 23 points off the bench.

Denver drops to 53-24 with this loss and is now the 2nd seed in the West. They are 0.5 games behind the Timberwolves for the top spot so this loss isn’t ideal. However, the Nuggets are still considered the favorites to come out of the conference thanks to the Joker who is making a case to win his 3rd MVP.

Regardless of where the defending champs finish in the standings, they will always have a chance for a deep playoff push. This team is 6-4 over their last 10 games and will look to bounce back on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Los Angeles improves to 48-28 and now hold a 2-game lead over the Mavs for the 4th seed in the West. This was a huge victory for the Clippers as they want to finish as a top 4 seed to have home court advantage and they proved that they are title contenders as well by defeating the Nuggets without Kawhi Leonard. They are 6-4 over their last 10 games and will look to build off this performance tomorrow against the Utah Jazz.