By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After taking over in the second quarter, the Los Angeles Clippers built a margin of over 30 points and frustrated Nikola Jokic en route to an easy win, 117-83, against the Denver Nuggets.
Prevailing in Intuit Dome shaped a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series for the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google.
They sidestepped a triple-double by Jokic. The Serbian superstar went for 23 points with 9/14 field goals, besides 13 assists, 13 rebounds, and one steal. He lasted 36 minutes, including five in the fourth quarter, before reserves from both sides covered the last four and a half minutes.
“It’s a game of runs. They had a really good run and we didn’t recover,” he described a lack of reaction in a tough stretch between the first and second quarters.
“Everybody needs to step up,” urged Jokic, “They were better than us today in every aspect of the game. So, we need to be more a group, play together, and more like fighter basketball. We can’t back down, we need to attack.”
In addition to the Joker, who was apparently discouraged by the team’s performance in Game 3, Russell Westbrook was forced to an early exit due to a foot injury. Slovenian Vlatko Cancar and Croatian Dario Saric did not play for the team coached by David Adelman.
Nikola Jokic looked frustrated on the bench during the Nuggets‘ blowout loss to the Clippers! 👀🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/HivNxvu0Oe
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) April 25, 2025
Croatian Ivica Zubac contributed 19 points behind 8/12 two-pointers, nine rebounds, one block, and one assist in a winning display. French Nicolas Batum threw in 12 points, five rebounds, three blocks, and two assists. Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic added two points, three assists, and one rebound.
Kawhi Leonard stood out for the Clippers, combining a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double with six assists. James Harden and Norman Powell threw in 20 points each.
Keeping the series in Intuit Dome, Game 4 is set for the next edition of NBA Saturdays. Game 5 on Tuesday will be played in Denver’s Ball Arena.