Nikola Jokic puts 21 and 8 on opening night
Denver’s win over the Los Angeles Clippersand discuss the two-year extension for Michael Malone.
21 points exactly what Denver Nuggets center Nokola Jokic did last night in the first game of the season. Against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Denver Nuggets started 2018-19 much like the brick cold weather they left in the Mile High City, missing six of their first seven shots in the season opener on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night.
However, newly-extended coach Mike Malone’s squad, heated up when it absolutely needed to, outscoring L.A. by 17 in the last five minutes and change to pull out a gritty 107-98 win at Staples Center.
“When you close the game on that kind of a run, that speaks to getting timely defensive stops, Malone said. “We did a much better job in the second half of gang rebounding. They only had two second-chance points the whole second half. We valued the ball and guys stepped up and made some big, big plays.”
Up two with less than a minute remaining, fifth-year Nuggets shooting guard Gary Harris knocked down a big elbow jumper against the shot clock and added a pair of free throws to put Denver in the driver’s seat on the next possession.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic led the way with 21 points on 6-13 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and a team-high five assists to help Denver avenge its lone preseason loss, suffered five days prior on the same floor. Harris scored 20 and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Will Barton scored 13 of his 19 in the first half while going 3-for-5 from 3-point range.
Paul Millsap recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 16 rebounds and Trey Lyles added 10 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
“Paul’s rebounding and defensive effort were tremendous and Nikola, obviously, he’s a special player.” Malone said.
Denver went on a 9-3 run during the first 2:06 of the second quarter to take a double-digit lead. A 9-2 spurt to end it held off the surging Clippers, who’d briefly regained the lead, before the half when the Nuggets led 59-54.
The Nuggets held a narrow 2-point lead, heading into the fourth quarter but saw it evaporate when the Clippers took an eight-point lead late in the final frame.
“We got down in that four quarter and I just told the guys, ‘Hey, let’s be tougher than them’,” Barton said. “’Let’s be tougher than them. Let’s stay together. Let’s not fall part’.”
The Nuggets shot just 37.9 percent from the field on the game, but got it done on the defensive end, limiting the Clippers to 8 of 28 shooting from behind the 3-point line (28.6 percent) while outrebounding them 56-47, including a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass.
Tobias Harris posted a double-double for the Clippers with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Boban Marjanovic scored 18 and snatched down eight rebounds and Lou Williams chipped in 14 points for L.A.
Clippers point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an impressive NBA debut. The Kentucky product dropped 11 points and dished out four assists.
The Nuggets host the Phoenix Suns in their home opener Saturday at 7 p.m. MT. That game will be broadcasted live on Altitude TV and streamed on AltitudeNOW.
Denver went 2-1 against the Suns last season. Phoenix won its season opener Wednesday, downing the Dallas Mavericks 121-100.
