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Nikola Jokic (30) scored 29 points and Aaron Gordon (29) added 25 as the Denver Nuggets edged the Los Angeles Clippers 112-110 in an overtime thriller to open their NBA playoff series on Saturday - but Russell Westbrook (36) 'stole' the show towards the end of the game.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic added nine rebounds, 12 assists and three steals for the Nuggets, who erased an early 15-point deficit to grab the win in game one of the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series. Westbrook came up big on both ends of the floor, his basket with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter giving the Nuggets their first lead since the first period. After a flurry of lead changes, Westbrook drilled a three-pointer that put Denver up 98-96 with 24.1 seconds left in regulation.
James Harden tied it, and the Clippers stymied the Nuggets on a final inbounds attempt to send it to the extra session -- which Gordon opened with a dunk. Denver wouldn't trail again and took a 108-104 lead with 59.8 seconds left when Jokic found Christian Braun for a three-pointer. Their lead was at three points when Westbrook broke up a Clippers inbounds attempt, and Jokic sealed it at the free-throw line.
Harden led the Clippers with 32 points. Kawhi Leonard added 27 and Ivica Zubac had 21, but it was the Nuggets - who ended the regular season amid turmoil after sacking coach Michael Malone with three games remaining, which they won - who prevailed. "Incremental steps to win a basketball game," said interim Nuggets coach David Adelman. "So it wasn't pretty from either team, but you've just got to make enough plays to win." Wesbtrook now owns the most made clutch shots by a point guard in NBA history and climbed up to No. 20 on the all-time assists list.
