Kawhi Leonard had a vintage night with 39 points on an great 15/19 shooting, helping the Los Angeles Clippers take down the Denver Nuggets on the road 105-102 Monday night at Ball Arena.
With the win, the LA team tied the best out of four series 1-1 as part of the first round of the playoffs. Game 3 will be played this Thursday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Leonard, who has been limited to just two playoff games since 2023, looked like his old self – a dominant player on both sides of the ball – while playing his best game of the 2025 playoffs. The two-time NBA champion (one with the San Antonio Spurs and the other with the Toronto Raptors) wants to have another opportunity at a Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Jamal Murray picks up a rival and almost starts a brawl
Shooting guard Jamal Murray – who was key during the championship run of the Nuggets in 2023 – let out his frustrations during the third quarter of the playoff game against the Los Angeles Clippers, and his actions almost started a brawl on the court.
Murray was defending guard Norman Powell, who tried to pass the ball to shooting guard James Harden. Inexplicably, Jamal lifted the Clippers player, which caused the ref to whistled the end of the play. However, the damage was done. Luckily, Powell was able to contain his anger because it looked like he was ready to punch Murray.
Players from both teams pushed each other around but the situation got under control as the refs urged players to calm down. Jamal Murray got a common foul, but Powell, his teammate Kris Dunn and Nuggets’ Christian Braun received technicals. Fans were quick to called out the refs for not giving Murray a technical for his wreckless move.
Nuggets vs. Clippers promises to be a great series
The Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers promises to be a great series as part of round one of the NBA playoffs, with two powerhouses from the Western Conference going at each other for the opportunity to make a deep run in the playoffs.
The Nuggets, lead by MVP candidate and All-Star center Nikola Jokic, want to send out a message to the league that they can be one of the best teams of the decade. Meanwhile, the Clippers are looking to get to their first NBA finals in franchise history with the help of superstars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
It’s a battle of strenght vs. strenght. Denver has a top-five offense, while Los Angeles are counting on their top-five defense. The teams spli the season series, so it’s going to take all of their talent and skills to beat each other and survive a gruesome round.
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