Obviously it’s just one game, and I’d expect Denver to not look this off the pace for the whole series, but this was a comprehensive performance for the Clippers, who shot 57 percent from the field and a staggering 41.7 percent from 3-point range. Everybody who dressed for the Clippers saw playing time Wednesday. In the fourth quarter, both teams started to clear their benches and give the starters some rest, with the game fully in hand for LA. The Clippers led 91-67 at the end of three quarters, with Doc Rivers’ team dominating their opponent in all facets of the game. While the Nuggets started hitting some shots as the game resumed, LA poured it on with another run in the 3rd quarter, extending their lead to 29 points. By the time the second quarter ended, LA had taken a 69-51 lead and were growing increasingly comfortable in the game. The Clippers started to take the edge in the second quarter, Leonard setting the tone for his team as they got out as far as 18 points in front before the halftime break. Kawhi Leonard and Marcus Morris each had 10 points in the first quarter for LA.īut that was it for the teams going toe-to-toe on the night. The opening frame was high-energy and back-and-forth, the teams ending it tied 31-31, with Nuggets forward Jerami Grant setting the tone by hitting three 3-pointers. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 29 points in just 31 minutes of action, but the likes of Paul George, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Marcus Morris and Montrezl Harrell had good games for the Clippers in the victory. Nobody wants to see stars get soft ejections.Game 1 of the second-round series between the LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets Thursday appeared to be a battle of a team in rhythm and coming off an emotional win (Nuggets) against a well-rested, perhaps rusty team (Clippers).īut the Clippers showed they had no rust despite over a week off between games, as they absolutely dominated the Nuggets in the final three quarters to win 120-97 in Orlando. That will mean a little taunting and some frustration with the officiating and that’s part of the trade-off for better play. A little more physicality wouldn’t hurt, but let the players show their emotion. Finding the right balance of what is and isn’t a good technical foul and taunting is something that will continue to calibrate with the competition committee.” It leads to more, to put it kindly, passionate play. “What we do know historically, is that taunting gone unchecked leads to altercations. Vincent Goodwill wrote a fantastic piece last week at Yahoo Sports, after quick-trigger taunting technicals for Draymond Green and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with NBA head of referee development and training Monty McCutchen saying this about the calls. I get it, being an NBA referee is incredibly difficult, and part of that challenge is everyone is always complaining trying to gain an advantage, or just frustrated. Officials have felt quick-triggered and seemingly even more thin-skinned this season. Players have done far, far more and not gotten even a technical. What Jokic did was not worthy of an ejection.
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