NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from the Denver Nuggets' Win over the Los Angeles Clippers

The Nuggets were handed their worst loss of the season by the Clippers last month, in what was a 21-point rout. The Nuggets returned home to host the Clippers for the third game of the four-game series and pulled through for a 121-100 revenge victory by the same margin. Their 21-point payback win over LA has got them a 2-1 lead in the season series with only one game to go.

The Denver Nuggets have now won seven of their last eight matches, and their recent win over the visiting Clippers has taken their record to a West-best 28-12(0.700), now 1.5 games clear of the 2nd seed Warriors. The Nuggets have lost just three games at home this season so far.

On the other hand, the Clippers had their three-game winning streak snapped by Denver as they dropped to 24-17(0.585) on the season. They are currently sharing the fifth spot with the Spurs on the West leaderboard, now 4.5 games below the team they lost to. This was just the fourth Clippers loss in the previous ten games.

Let's draw out some key takeaways from this Denver Nuggets redemption win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

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#1 The Joker impresses with another one of his characteristic triple-doubles

Nikola Jokic is averaging a career-high 19.2 ppg this season.

Jokic's quarterback-like full-court pass highlighted his all-round performance when the Clippers came to visit the Nuggets in Denver. He lofted the ball straight out of a rebound with one hand across the court to Jamal Murray for an easy dunk in the third period, leaving the spectators in awe of his court-vision and control.

"He could play for NFL teams the way he passes the ball," Malone said.

He did a little bit of everything and finished with a typical Joker-like triple-double, consisting of 18 points, 14 boards, and 10 assists. Although the Joker couldn't sink any of his five three-point attempts, he shot a decent 8-of-19 from the floor and chipped in with a couple of blocks on the defensive end.

#2 Harris and Gallinari were the only two starters to score in double-digits for LA

Danilo Gallinari is averaging a career-high 19.5 PPG this season.

Marcin Gortat, Avery Bradley, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for just 11 points, leaving Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari with most of the offensive load from the starting lineup.

Bradley and Alexander shot a miserable 1-of-6 and 1-of-4 from the field respectively, playing at least 20 minutes each, with Gilgeous committing three turnovers as well. Gallinari was the only Clipper to net three long-range shots, as he finished with a team-high total of 18 points on the night, despite an ordinary 6-of-17 shooting rally.

Tobias Harris matched Gallinari's total of 18 points, but he also impacted the boards with 11 rebounds of his own. Missing both of his three-point attempts in the game, Tobias could only dish out four assists and pull off a singular blocked shot.

#3 The Nuggets outclassed the Clippers in almost every statistical box

The Nuggets' offensive rebounding is the second best in the league.

The Nuggets put up a comprehensive basketball show for their home crowd, outperforming their opposition in almost every aspect of the game. They shot upwards of 50% from the field and converted on almost 40% of their attempts from distance.

They pulled down eight more defensive boards and almost twice the number of offensive rebounds than their opposition, along with dishing out seven more assists.

"They just kicked our butt from the beginning," said Tobias Harris. "Their intensity and pace, we were kind of on our heels with all night. We've got to respect that especially from a team that's No. 1 in the West."

Denver outscored LA 66-50 in the paint and committed three fewer turnovers. Four Nuggets starters ended up scoring at least 14 points, while reserves Plumlee and Morris chipped in with 17 and 14 respectively.