In one of the most intriguing matchups of the first round, the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers faced off in an overtime thriller on Saturday, with the Nuggets securing the Game 1 victory 112-110.
The battle started great for the Clippers, who jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half thanks to 15 first-quarter points from James Harden.
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Despite the struggles, Denver strung together a fast-paced 13-2 scoring run near the end of the second quarter to cut the Clippers’ lead to just four points at halftime. The second half was a back-and-forth battle, largely between Nikola Jokic and Ivica Zubac who were physical in the paint all game.
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The end of the fourth quarter saw Russell Westbrook make back-to-back clutch layups before knocking down a lead-taking three with less than 30 seconds left in regulation, but Harden responded with a quick floater that tied the game and forced overtime.
An Aaron Gordon dunk in the opening seconds of overtime gave the Nuggets a lead that they held on to for the rest of the game. Westbrook came up clutch once again by forcing a Harden turnover on the final possession of overtime.
For Denver, Jokic had 29 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds as three Nuggets scored 20+ points. Harden did all he could for the Clippers and finished with 32 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.
With a 1-0 lead, the Nuggets look to utilize their momentum in Game 2 on Monday.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
