The Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets posted wins last night, in the only two NBA games played. Clippers were better than Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavs, while Nuggets easily defeated the Washington Wizards.
Doncic Frustrated With Clippers’ D
Dallas’ Luka Doncic and early MVP candidate left the American Airlines Center last night without talking to the reporters. The youngster was very frustrated about the officials’ decisions, and he didn’t hesitate to show that during the game. The guests from LA, 114-99, easily routed his Mavs (11-6).
Doncic, arguably the best player in the league since the season started, shot 4 for 14 from the field, missed all his eight three-point attempts. He did reach 22 points, but it was mostly due to superb production from the free-throw line, 14 for 16. Doncic also had 8 boards and 6 assists but added 7 turnovers to that.
The Clippers (13-5) rotated several defenders on the Slovenian, who had a chance to taste what it’s like to be guarded by Leonard, George, and Patrick Beverly. He would often complain to the refs about contacts, but they would rule out his remark each time.
As for the game, the Clippers won it pretty easily, and with less work than the majority predicted. They would start to pull away at the end of the first period and in no time, gain a double-digit lead. The result at the halftime was 62-46, and there was no way back for the Mavs in this one. Doc Rivers’ team convincingly kept the lead, not allowing the hosts to have the slightest chance of coming back.
Kawhi Leonard had 28 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists. Paul George added 26 with 6 steals, while Lou Williams delivered 21 with 6 boards and dimes each.
On the other side, besides Doncic, Kristaps Porizngis was the only one who had some sort of an impact on the game, with a double-double 15 points and 10 boards. Seth Curry scored 13. Mavs head for Phoenix to meet the Suns on Friday, while Clippers play against the Grizzlies tomorrow, on the road.
Nuggets Without Problems vs. Wizards
Nikola Jokic scored just 8 points in Denver’s (13-3) win over the Washington Wizards (5-10), 117-104. The All-NBA First Team center was focused more on assisting and getting the rebounds while leaving the scoring duties to his teammates. The Joker ended the game with season-best 20 boards, and five assists.
It was Jerami Grant who led the way for the Nuggets with 20 points off the bench. Will Barton and 17, while Jamal Murray scored 17.
The home team had a furious sequence in the second quarter when they beat the guests 39-24. That was the key moment of the match, after which the visitors couldn’t come back. Washington’s leading star and one of the most prolific scorers in the league, Bradley Beal, was held to just 14 points while shooting 6 for 15. The team-high for the guests was scored by Jordan McRae, who ended the night with 21 buckets.
Besides them, Mo Wagner and Davis Bertans also had 14 points each. Wizards face the Suns this Wednesday, while Nuggets play with the Kings in Sacramento on Saturday.
