After their most productive day in a non-overtime game this season, the Denver Nuggets are out to earn consecutive victories for the first time in a month when they play host to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.
Following a run of seven losses in 11 games — including one of their two setbacks against the Clippers this season — the Nuggets turned their offense loose in a 141-111 road victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday as Nikola Jokic scored 48 points with 14 rebounds and eight assists.
With three MVP awards in the past four seasons, Jokic is pointed toward another as he leads the NBA in rebounds at 13.6 per game and is second in points (32.3) and assists (10.2). He has 104 points over the past two games but his 56-point outing Saturday ended up in a defeat to the lowly Washington Wizards.
Jokic’s push for offense coincides with a hamstring injury to Jamal Murray, who missed the past two games and is expected to be listed as questionable for Friday’s game. Dario Saric is expected back after he was inactive the past two games with an ankle injury.
In his first season with the Nuggets, former Clippers guard Russell Westbrook has averaged 6.4 assists per game. With Murray down, he has averaged 11.5 assists the past two games.
“When Russ is out there with Nikola, he’s just always looking for him,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “He’s always trying to find him. And that makes complete sense to me. You’re playing with the best player in the world. You might want to give him the ball.”
The Clippers’ Norman Powell has averaged 32.5 points in the two victories over the Nuggets and leads Los Angeles with 23.6 points per game this season.
While Powell has returned from a recent hamstring injury, James Harden (groin) was absent from Sunday’s 117-106 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks, as was Terance Mann (finger). Kawhi Leonard (knee) has not played this season but has finally returned to practice as he nears his season debut.
The hope for Los Angeles head coach Tyronn Lue was to hold things together as best as possible until Leonard returned, and a 14-11 record through the first two months appears to have to accomplished that goal.
Leonard won’t travel with the team for Friday’s game, but his return to practice has made an impact.
“It raised our energy just for our guys to see him on the floor,” Lue said. “It brought a juice to our team, so we needed that jolt, especially going through the schedule we’ve been through. It was really good to see him out there.”
Instead of playing it passive until Leonard returns, the Clippers have ramped up their defense, which has allowed 107.4 points per game. It is the fifth-best mark in the NBA.
The 35-year-old Harden has raised his game for the Clippers by averaging 21.6 points, his most since the 2021-22 season. He has also averaged 8.5 assists with 6.8 rebounds while playing in 24 of 25 games.
–Field Level Media