Denver's basketball players took the lead last night against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs of the American Professional Basketball League (NBA), after winning the first game at home after overtime - 112:110 (98:98).
The Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic with 29 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds and three steals and Aaron Gordon with 25 points and eight rebounds. Jamal Murray contributed 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Russell Westbrook had 15 points and eight rebounds.
James Harden led the Los Angeles team with 32 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. Kawhi Leonard added 22 points and six rebounds, Ivica Zubac 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Norman Powell 12 points.
Bogdan Bogdanović did not score, he had five rebounds and two assists.
Denver took the lead early on, but the Clippers took control and led, even by 15 points in the second quarter.
They led until the very end, when the home team managed to turn the score around to 93:92.
It was a basket-for-basket game, and Jokić missed both free throws with a minute and a half left, with Denver leading 95:94. After that, Zubac scored from the other end to give the Clippers a new lead.
After Denver's unsuccessful attack, Leonard lost the ball, thanks to Murray, and the home team took advantage of that and took the lead 98:96 with a three-pointer by Westbrook. The team from Los Angeles tied the game with a basket by Harden, and Denver failed to capitalize on the attack after that, so the game went into overtime.
Denver led in overtime, and after a three-pointer by Christian Brown, they led by four points, 108:104, with a minute left. Harden then hit a three-pointer, and on the other side of the throw-in, Gordon hit it, giving Denver a three-point lead. Westbrook made a good defense on Harden on the Clippers' throw-in, and Denver got the ball.
Jokić, on the other hand, made both free throws and secured the victory. In the final attack, Powell made a three-pointer and set the final score.
Game 2 is played again on Monday in Denver. The series is played to four wins.
After Indiana previously defended its home court against Milwaukee - 117:98, the Knicks were better than Detroit in New York - 123:112, with 34 points and eight assists from Jaylen Branson.
However, the LA Lakers were unable to defend their home court at the start of the series with Minnesota, who were outplayed by Minnesota - 117:95.
Luka Dončić did score 37 points with eight rebounds, but only an assist, because the Wolves analyzed the Lakers' game perfectly and forced the Slovenian superstar and LeBron James into as many as nine turnovers.
McDaniels was the most efficient player for the Wolves with 25 points, but Anthony Edwards was great with 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.
Minnesota broke the franchise record by making 21 three-pointers out of 42 attempts, with Naz Reed leading the way with six out of nine shots from behind the three-point line.
Bonus video:
