Dominant Jokic leads Nuggets to win over Clippers / News - Basketnews.com

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Nikola Jokic had 30 points and 14 rebounds, Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green and Bones Hyland scored 16 apiece and the host Denver Nuggets (43-30) beat the Los Angeles Clippers (36-38) 127-115 (37-27, 35-34, 27-27, 28-27).

Player of the Game EFF 42 Nikola Jokic Points 30 Accuracy 9-15 Rebounds 14 Assists 6

Monte Morris finished with 15 points, Austin Rivers had 11 and Will Barton added 10 for Denver, which had lost four of its previous six games.

Terance Mann scored 24 points and four Clippers had 14 points each -- Isaiah Hartenstein, Marcus Morris Sr., Reggie Jackson and Robert Covington. Los Angeles has lost four straight.

The Nuggets, up by 11 after three quarters, missed their first four shots of the final period and the Clippers took advantage to get within 99-93. After a timeout, DeMarcus Cousins made a layup and Rivers and Hyland hit 3-pointers to make it 107-95.

Los Angeles scored the next five points to get within seven and force another Denver timeout, but the Clippers kept creeping closer. Jackson hit a running jumper and Covington sank a 3-pointer to make it 111-109. Monte Morris answered with a 3-pointer from the corner to stretch Denver's lead to five again.

Jokic blocked a pair of shots, and the second one led to a 3-pointer by Green to make it 117-109. Los Angeles cut the gap to six again on two free throws by Mann, but a 10-4 run sealed it for the Nuggets.

The Clippers scored eight straight early in the third to get within 74-69, but Denver went on an 11-2 run to go ahead by 14, its biggest lead of the night. Los Angeles chipped away, getting within 90-82 late in the quarter.

The Nuggets went back up by double digits on a 3-pointer by Hyland in the final minute, and after two free throws by Hartenstein, Rivers hit a floating jumper to give Denver a 99-88 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Jokic had 17 points in the first half to help Denver lead by as many as 13 points. The Nuggets shot 61 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from behind the arc in the half.

Los Angeles used a couple of runs to cut into Denver's lead, getting within 51-48 midway through the second quarter, but the Nuggets stretched the lead to 72-61 at intermission.

On the night, Denver outshot Los Angeles 54.2 percent to 48.8 percent. The Nuggets hit half of their 32 3-point attempts while the Clippers made 10 of 32 (31.2 percent).

Nuggets: Nikola Jokic 30 (9/13 2PT, 12/13 FT, 14 REB, 6 AST, 3 BLK), Jeff Green 16 (5/7 2PT), Aaron Gordon 16 (7 REB, 6 AST), Nah'Shon Hyland 16 (4/6 3PT), Monte Morris 15, Austin Rivers 11 (3/5 3PT), Will Barton 10 (2/5 3PT).

Clippers: Terance Mann 24 (7/8 2PT, 10/12 FT, 8 REB), Reggie Jackson 14 (6/14 2PT, 6 AST), Marcus Morris 14 (6/10 2PT, 0/6 3PT), Robert Covington 14 (4/6 3PT), Isaiah Hartenstein 14 (5/7 2PT).

Highlights

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