Nikola Jokic scored 29 factors and Aaron Gordon added 25, together with a few free photographs with 12 seconds left, and the Denver Nugget roar from a deficit of the primary half of 15 factors in energy past the Los Angeles Clippers 112-110 within the extraordinary Saturday in opening their collection of western playoffs.
Jamal Murray added 21 factors, 9 boards and 7 assists for the fourth seed pepper, who improved 4-0 beneath the provisional coach David Adelman, the substitute of Michael Malone.
The lack of seeds n. 5 was the primary from March thirtieth to Cleveland. They launched within the playoffs after profitable 18 out of 21, together with their final eight, and went as much as an preliminary benefit as much as the final minutes of regulation.
Game 2 is Monday night on the Ball Arena.
Russell Westbrook arrived on the finish of the tip of each regulations-with an unintected nook 3 for a bonus of 98-96 of Denver-e once more in extraordinary when he knocked on the inbounds that handed from-and exterior Da-James Harden with 9.6 seconds left and Denver clung to a bonus of three factors.
Jokic was soiled within the incoming entry and his two free photographs made 112-107 earlier than Norman Powell’s 3-pointer hum.
The sport was linked to 98 on the finish of the regulation.
After Westbrook’s 3-pointer from the left nook, Harden replied with a float to bind him and the Nuggets haven’t been in a position to go down within the final 18 seconds.
In extraordinary, the nuggets have by no means been adopted.
Jokic had 12 assists and ended a shy rebound of a triple double. Harden led the clippers with 32 factors. Kawhi Leonard added 27 and Ivica Zubac had 21.
These groups met for the final time within the playoffs in 2020 in Walt Disney World within the pandemic bubble, when the Nuggets exceeded a 3-1 deficit to beat the clippers.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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