The purpose for the Clippers was to not give the Denver Nuggets any hope in Recreation 4 and within the course of take full management of the seven-game playoff sequence.
For any of this to occur, each groups needed to keep their composure, which each side misplaced late within the second quarter, leading to technical fouls being known as on six gamers however no ejections.
The Clippers discovered a calmness amidst all of it, even after they obtained down 22 factors within the fourth quarter, maintaining their feelings in examine till Aaron Gordon dunked in a missed three-pointer by Nikola Jokic as time expired to offer the Nuggets an exhilarating 101-99 win.
One of the best-of-seven sequence is tied 2-2.
Recreation 5 is Tuesday evening in Denver.
The Clippers went on a 32-9 run to take a 97-96 lead after Bogdan Bogdanovic obtained an offensive rebound and scored.
Clippers heart Ivica Zubac blocks a layup by Nuggets guard Jamal Murray throughout the first half of Recreation 4 on Saturday at Intuit Dome.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Occasions)
However Jokic (36 factors, 21 rebounds, eight assists) made a free throw to tie the rating with 58.6 seconds left. After Kawhi Leonard (24 factors) missed a shot, Jokic scored to offer the Nuggets a 99-97 lead.
James Harden (15 factors, 11 assists) missed on a drive, however Ivica Zubac (19 factors, 12 rebounds) tipped the ball in to tie the rating at 99-99 with 8.0 seconds left.
Jokic shot a three-pointer that missed, however Gordon (14 factors) dunked it for a recreation Denver thought it had received.
However the officers needed to evaluate the play, finally deciding that the basket was good.
The ruckus started after Christian Braun fouled Harden with 6.6 seconds left within the second quarter, inflicting loads of pushing and shoving.
Harden took exception with the foul and pushed Braun, then Jokic came visiting and pushed Harden adopted by Gordon pushing Harden, who then pushed the Nuggets’ ahead again. Zubac grabbed and pulled Gordon away. However Norman Powell ran over and pushed Gordon and Braun, and Kris Dunn then ran in and pushed Gordon.
The officers lastly obtained issues settled down and issued technical fouls on Harden, Powell and Dunn in addition to Gordon, Braun and Jokic.
After which when each groups got here out to begin the second half, each having been given an opportunity to settle down of their locker rooms and resume taking part in a tense basketball recreation, the Nuggets have been the aggressors and the Clippers weren’t.
The Clippers fell behind 85-65 on the finish of the third quarter, their offense struggling and their protection unable to regulate the Nuggets within the early going of the second half.
Denver scored 35 factors within the third quarter by capturing 56% from the sphere and 50% (5 for 10) from three-point vary.
In the meantime, the Clippers scored simply 17 factors within the third quarter, capturing 27.8% from the sphere.
Earlier than the sport, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue talked about his staff’s method to the sport.
“We got to be locked in to start defensively,” he stated. “They’ve come out really aggressive, really scoring the basketball in that first quarter. So we just got to come out with a defensive mindset to start the game and not give them any life to start the game because they are a really good team. Their starting five is amazing and like I said, they won a championship two years ago so we got to be locked in.”
The Clippers have been largely locked into the sport on the outset, their protection forcing the Nuggets into two 24-second violations within the first quarter and that allowed L.A. to trim a Denver lead from 9 to 2 factors.
However the Clippers ended the primary with a turnover when Harden’s lengthy cross to Zubac sailed out of bounds with 1.9 seconds remaining.
That left the door open for the Nuggets, and so they stepped into it when Jokic drilled a 28-foot three-pointer because the buzzer sounded to finish the primary half that put the Clippers down 5 factors.
The Nuggets have been with out reserve guard Russell Westbrook (left foot).
