LA Clippers 121-108 Denver Nuggets: 5 Talking points as Kawhi Leonard suffers mouth injury

#3 LA Clippers finally show tenacity down the stretch

For the fourth straight, the LA Clippers held a hefty lead against the Denver Nuggets at halftime with the scoreline reading 72-55 in their favor. We all know how the side from the previous year lost the plot three times from such a position to get knocked out of the playoffs.

This time though, Ty Lue's men were wired better. Having led by as many as 24, the LA Clippers did lose grip as their advantage was reduced to 10 points early on in the fourth. But some clutch plays from the likes of Leonard, Ibaka, and George ensured that they remained ahead to eventually grab the win.

#4 Denver Nuggets struggling defensively to start the season

The Denver Nuggets lost some key names this offseason. Jerami Grant, Miles Plumlee, and Torrey Craig all left the franchise in free agency. The first two provide physicality inside the paint while the latter is a good perimeter defender.

The Nuggets aren't built to beat the Lakers or the Clippers they have nobody to guard LeBron or Kawhi
— Ricky G (@jrichardgoodman) December 26, 2020

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Mike Malone's men simply did not close out their counterparts quickly enough beyond the arc and were bulldozed on many occasions inside the paint. Even Jokic had a tough time guarding Ibaka.

#5 Kawhi Leonard suffers mouth laceration

Kawhi Leonard had another decent outing for LA Clippers tonight. Through 30 minutes of playing time, he managed 21 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. However, halfway through the fourth quarter, his lower jaw collided with Serge Ibaka's shoulders as the latter went for a rebound.

Kawhi Leonard had 8 stitches to treat a mouth laceration after colliding with Serge Ibaka, the team says. After the game, coach Ty Lue said he believed Leonard will be “fine.”
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) December 26, 2020

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Kawhi started bleeding profusely and was in a lot of pain. He eventually left for the locker room and did not return to the game. However, coach Ty Lue's post-game comments suggest that he won't have to miss time.

Also read: LA Clippers 121-108 Denver Nuggets - Twitter explodes as Paul George takes over to freeze any chance of a Nuggets comeback