![]() Denver is 14-3 at home, Los Angeles has gone 10-10 on the road. Los Angeles will be without Nicolas Batum as he deals with an ankle injury, and possibly Paul George, who has a hamstring injury. Denver comes in with massive momentum after winning 10 of their last 13 games, but are coming off a 124-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. The Clippers come into this game losing four of their last six games and have lost the last three consecutively. That about does it for this preview of the super short handed Clippers’ game against the Blazers.Records: Clippers (21-18), Nuggets (24-13) But if Covington can contribute on defense, rebound, and be thoughtful with his shot selection, it will be nice to have him back in the rotation. From whom Covington will be taking minutes is unknown hopefully, Terance Mann does not get benched as a result. NoteĬovington Back in the Rotation?: During Wednesday’s media availability, coach Ty Lue said that Covington might see a bigger role in Thursday’s game (h/t Ohm Youngmisuk). The Clippers will have to dig deep to get this win. The Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are currently a 6.5 point favorite according to ESPN’s PickCenter Analysis, and rightfully so. The Nuggets are 14-3 at home, and have the best record in the Western Conference. Nikola Jokic-regardless of who plays for the Clippers-will be the best player on the floor. In the Ty Lue era, the Clippers are 2-6 against the Nuggets. While the Clippers have a path to a win, the forces working against them are significant. If the Clippers can replicate this dynamic, and get a significant contribution from Kennard (who did not play in game one) and/or Powell (who only had 11 points), the Clippers will have a chance to steal this game. ![]() The problem that game was Aaron Gordon, who scored 29 points on 12/16 shooting. Jokic and Murray only combined for 40 points, and the Clippers won the non-Jokic minutes by nine points. The Clippers lost by 10 points, but they actually won the second half. For example, the Clippers were without Leonard, George, and Kennard when they played the Nuggets in November. In theory, the Clippers may be able to lead with their defense: do their best to “handle” Nikola Jokic, limit Murray and Gordon’s impact, and win the bench minutes by a significant margin. The Nuggets, on the other hand, have a bottom-six defense and are twentieth in defensive rebounding. But the Clippers still have an elite defense even without PG or Kawhi (not to minimize their contributions on that end, of course). Nuggets: Jeff Green, Out (hand) Collin Gillespie, Out (leg) The Big PictureĪt the time of writing, the LA Clippers may have Paul George and/or Kawhi Leonard available-or neither ( Editor’s Note: Kawhi is now off the injury report). – Aaron Gordon – Nikola Jokic InjuriesĬlippers: Paul George, Questionable (hamstring) Nicolas Batum, Out (Ankle) Brandon Boston Jr, Out (G-League) Moussa Diabate, Out (G-League) Jason Preston Out (G-League) Nuggets: Jamal Murray – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Michael Porter, Jr. Norm Powell or Nicolas Batum may start in his spot if he and Kawhi do not play. Note: as indicated below, PG is questionable. How to Watch: TNT Projected Starting LineupsĬlippers: Reggie Jackson – Terance Mann – Paul George* – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac ![]() After a couple of days off, the Clippers head to Denver for the first game of a back-to-back against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets-the top seed in the Western Conference. The Clippers have l ost three in a row and are once again having to plan around the availability of stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. ![]()
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