Game: Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Clippers
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Odds: Nuggets +1, Clippers -1
Total: 226
The Los Angeles Clippers will play the visiting Denver Nuggets again on Wednesday, just over a week after they faced each on November 27. That night, the Nuggets played in Los Angeles on the second night of a back-to-back without Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, or Jamal Murray. Despite not having their stars, the Nuggets managed to overcome the Clippers and win 113-104.
The Nuggets looked to a pair of former Clippers. DeAndre Jordan finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Reggie Jackson had 35 points and 13 assists. There were echoes of Los Angeles’ previous offense when Jordan was a mainstay in pick-and-roll plays.
Both players’ stats were season highs, with Jordan scoring more than 20 points for the first time since he joined the New York Knicks on March 24, 2019. Ironically, Jordan’s opponent on that night was also the Clippers.
Following both teams’ elimination from the in-season tournament, Wednesday’s game was set, and it is now up to Nuggets head coach Michael Malone to determine how much he wants to use the former Clippers against their former team again.
Even though Jokic recorded his eighth triple-double of the year with 36 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists on the road against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, Denver’s four-game winning streak came to an end.
The Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 113–112 at home on Saturday, perhaps pulling off their biggest win of the short James Harden era. Two days prior to the game in San Francisco, the Warriors had defeated the Clippers 120-114. On Saturday, Paul George scored 25 points for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists and James Harden finished with 21 points and nine assists. With 9.2 seconds left, George made a step-back 3-pointer to give the Clippers their first lead of the game.
After Harden was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Clippers are now 6-8, but they have won six of their previous nine games. The squad is optimistic that their win on Saturday is a sign of future success. The Clippers will now face the 2023 NBA champions tonight after defeating the 2022 NBA champions over the weekend.
Murray is questionable tonight for the Nuggets. Gordon, who injured a heel, is listed as probable. Denver has won four of its last five games and is 8-0 SU in its last eight against the Clippers. The Nuggets have struggled against the number though, going 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games. They are also 2-8 ATS in their last ten road games.
The Clippers are 6-3 SU and have also struggled to cover. Los Angeles is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games despite winning six of the last nine. At home against Denver, the Clippers are just 1-9 SU in the last ten meetings. LA has failed to cover in three of its last four games, including two as the favorite.
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