Clippers Toast Nuggets to Take 2-1 Playoffs Series Lead

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Los Angeles Clippers picked up where they left off and handed the Denver Nuggets a demolition exhibition in Game 3, 117-83, of their NBA Western Conference best-of-seven first-round playoff series on April 25, 2025.

After escaping the gutsy Denver squad on the road to level the series, the Clippers banked on the loud cheers from their crowd to protect home court and grab the driver’s seat for a 2-1 series advantage.

Denver initially stole the momentum in the early phase of the opener after grabbing a quick seven-point lead off Aaron Gordon’s 11-point outburst. The athletic power forward was jacking up three-pointers at will and attacked the loose interior defense of the Clippers, resulting in a favorable start for the visiting Nuggets.

However, in just a blink of an eye, the Clippers quickly restored order off a Tyrone Lue timeout and stunned the Nuggets with a demoralizing 16-2 closing offensive run heading into the second frame.

James Harden was a maestro for the Clippers during that massive avalanche as the premier floor general sprayed three treys while aggressively putting the pressure on Denver’s backup front-court personnel with his foul-baiting ability.

From a seven-point hole, the Clippers instantly retook the lead and never looked back. They continued to execute their high-octane attack and outscored the Nuggets, 30-19, to enter the second half with much-needed momentum.

Despite Nikola Jokic weaving his magic at the start of the third, Los Angeles’ balanced attack drowned his heroics as Norman Powell and Nicolas Batum knocked down timely triples that answered every Denver run.

At the start of the fourth, Kawhi Leonard’s two-way efficiency steered the Clippers to a fast start, backstopped by Harden’s playmaking that swelled their cushion to as much as 34 points in the final frame.

With the Denver rotation having no fluid rhythm offensively, head coach David Adelman decided to call it a night and waved the white flag with five minutes remaining in the game.

After the first two games were only decided by single digits, the Game 3 LA masterpiece changed the narrative of the anticipated nip-and-tuck first-round series.

Leonard was still on fire after his 39-point eruption in Game 2 and top-scored the Clippers with 21 markers, 11 rebounds, and six assists.

The duo of Powell and Harden then combined for 40 points, while Ivica Zubac maintained his consistent post presence and capped off the win with 19 markers, nine boards, and a block.

On the other hand, Jokic delivered another triple-double performance for Denver with a 23-13-13 stat-line but his all-around effort was still short to help the Nuggets steal the first game on the road.

Jamal Murray equalized his scoring production alongside four assists, but the other role players failed to step up as Michael Porter Jr. and Russell Westbrook only had 7 and 3 points, respectively.

Denver will look to bounce back in Game 4 on April 27, 2025, and avoid losing three consecutive playoff games while the Clippers seek to move a step closer to punching a semifinal ticket in the West.