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Clippers crush Nuggets in Game 3 for 2-1 series lead

April 25, 2025

The Clippers and Denver Nuggets prepare to tip-off in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series on Thursday night, April 24, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. It was the first NBA playoff game ever at the team’s glitzy new arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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INGLEWOOD — Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has allowed himself at times to think about the what-ifs of past postseasons, times when the Clippers came up short or didn’t qualify at all.

But, as he pointed out, that was then, and this is now where the Denver Nuggets stand in their way of advancing in this season’s Western Conference playoffs.

And the here and now meant figuring out how the Clippers could play better in Game 3 on Thursday night than they did in the first two games of their best-of-seven first-round series.

“We got to play better. We have to play better. That’s our mindset,” he had said.

Lue didn’t have to wait long to see whether the Clippers would elevate their game against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. The Clippers put on a dominating display in a 117-83 victory in front of an energized, towel-waving sold-out crowd in the first postseason game at the Intuit Dome.

“It was cracking. It was loud. It was just how we expected it to be,” said James Harden, the Clippers’ veteran point guard. “You know what? That’s one of the reasons why we jumped out to a huge lead. I mean they got behind us and we just rode that wave.”

After the first two games were decided by a combined total of five points, this was a stunning result. The blowout gives the Clippers a 2-1 edge in the series going into Game 4 on Saturday afternoon at the Intuit Dome.

It was the kind of performance Lue was looking for from his veteran-laden team.

“This is what I was talking about. The guys played better,” Lue said.

Lue then gave an assist to the fans, calling their energy unbelievable and “very exciting. Our fans came out, they showed up and showed out.”

But it wasn’t just the fans who played a big role in the Clippers’ dominating victory over the Nuggets. Guard Norman Powell, who struggled to score in Games 1 and 2, came away with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a 3-of-8 showing from 3-point range.

“Norm was huge for us tonight in scoring the basketball but also making the right play in the pick-and-roll, the blitzes and we got to build off of it,” Lue said.

Powell said the turnaround was a matter of believing in his abilities.

“My confidence never goes anywhere,” Powell said. “It’s about being steady, trusting the work and I know it’s always going to show the amount of time I’ve put into this game on the court, off the court, mentally, physically that’s what I do.

“It’s all mental. It’s just about staying even keeled and watching how you can improve and making those adjustments.”

Whether it was the familiar surroundings or the fans who cheered non-stop, something energized the Clippers, who led by 20 points in the second quarter and by as much as 25 before the night was over behind a balanced attack.

In addition to Powell, Kawhi Leonard had 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Harden scored all of his 20 points in the first half to go with nine assists and six rebounds.

Ivica Zubac added 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, while Nicolas Batum added 12 points and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 10 as Clippers owner Steve Ballmer clapped his hands and pumped his fist from a seat near his team’s bench.

But it was the Clippers’ perimeter defense that helped slow the Nuggets, who shot just 7 for 25 from 3-point range (28%). The Clippers were 18 for 39 (46.2%) from long range, led by Batum, who was 4 for 6. Harden, Leonard and Powell each made three 3-pointers.

The Clippers controlled the boards, 48-38, and their bench outscored the Nuggets’ reserves, 31-6.

The Clippers kept Nuggets center Jokic off kilter in the second quarter, but the three-time league MVP still posted his 20th triple-double of the season with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

“He’s the best player in the world and he was baiting us early on in the first quarter where we were coming and he saw us coming, but he acted like he didn’t and he was really picking us apart,” Lue said. “And so in that second quarter on through, we did a good job of just really selling out those corner cuts, kind of trying to stay at home, especially if Zu’s guarding him and just kind of mixing it up.”

Jamaal Murray added 23 points for the Nuggets.

“I like what we did defensively and it’s still going to be a tough series,” Lue said. “It ain’t over. We had a blowout. It’s only one game, so we got to be great to come and validate that on Saturday.”

The Clippers dug themselves into a hole early as they struggled to find the basket, giving the crowd little to cheer about.

But as the clock reached the final two minutes of the first quarter and the white towels began to whip around the arena, Harden found his touch, scoring 11 of the final 16 points of the period to give the Clippers a seven-point lead.

It was the kind of boost the Clippers needed. They outscored the Nuggets 23-2 over the end of the first quarter and the start of the second, riding that momentum to a 65-47 halftime lead.

Harden continued his first-half onslaught, and Batum added nine points on three 3-pointers as the Clippers held the Nuggets to 41.3% shooting (19 for 46) before the intermission.

“The first two games were very competitive. This game was not,” interim Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “But you can come back Saturday and you can right a lot of wrongs.”

Former Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook, who sparked the Nuggets to victory in Game 1, suffered a left foot injury in the second quarter and did not return.

Michael Porter Jr., who sprained his left shoulder late in Game 2, was limited to seven points and six rebounds.

Clippers crush Nuggets in Game 3 for 2-1 series lead Orange County Register

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Clippers crush Nuggets in Game 3 for 2-1 series lead

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