Recap: Nikola Jokic puts on a cape and scores 55 to will the Nuggets to a 130-116 win over the Clippers
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 130-116 behind an unstoppable performance from Nikola Jokic. Joker had 55 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, and the Clippers had no answers for him despite a slower start for the Nuggets who were on a back-to-back. Jamal Murray passed David “Skywalker” Thompson on the career Nuggets list and finished with 15 points, and Aaron Gordon found the right gear in the second quarter to add 18 points and 5 boards, but it really was Joker’s night. He was not interested in losing this game and seized control of the game in both the first and the third quarter.
The Clippers had 23 points from James Harden and 18 from Ivica Zubac, and made 16 threes but despite game-ending injuries to both Christian Braun (leg) and Cam Johnson (arm) the Nuggets found their defense in the second half and that helped Jokic’s superhuman effort carry them to victory. Go enjoy that LA nightlife, Nuggets – you earned it.
Game Flow
The Clippers won the tip but missed the shot, while the Nuggets missed three shots on one possession – two from Jokic and one from Murray. Zubac maid a paint shot, Murray missed another 3 and Derrick Jones Jr. had a breakaway finish. Cam Johnson hustled up some rebounds and Murray was able to drive for a traditional 3-point play. Cam and Mal both missed shots while the Clippers made a couple more buckets, and Jokic finally finished in the paint. Denver was slow-footed and lacked early energy on both ends, but CB made a couple of free throws, then put back a blocked Jamal shot for a good finish. Jokic ran the break and slammed home a dunk to cut LA’s lead to 12-11. Zubac scored again for his third bucket, answered by a Jokic drive. Aaron Gordon had his three-point shot blocked by Jones Jr. but then Tim Hardaway Jr. drew a charge on Jones.
Cam Johnson and Kobe Sanders exchanged buckets, Jokic made free throws and then he and Zubac exchanged buckets. Cam Johnson then injured his arm on a rebound and had to go back to the locker room, while Joker took over the scoring for Denver in the first quarter. He assisted a Christian Braun transition bucket, then Braun assisted THJ and Joker on threes to make it a 13-0 run. Harden ended it with a drive, Jokic and Harden exchanged jumpers, then Jokic and Brook Lopez exchanged threes. Christian banged knees with Harden and maybe twisted an ankle and had to limp to the bench at the end of the first, but despite starters dropping like flies and Jamal’s turnover creating a 5 point swing thanks to a buzzer-beating halfcourt three from Jordan Miller, the Nuggets led 39-35 after one.
The non-Jokic group to start the second didn’t look good early, with Mal and Jonas Valanciunas both missing shots, Bruce Brown with a shot clock violation and Big Val getting a turnover. The Clippers made two 3s to retake the lead at 41-39 for Denver into a timeout. Julian then had one of the worst turnovers of the season, and the Clippers had their own 13-0 run until Strawther finally hit a floater. The Clippers hit another pair of threes as their bench demolished Denver’s and stretched the lead to 8. Jonas hit a bucket, Kobe Sanders answered for LA with yet another 3, and all of Denver’s starters had to come back.
Aaron Gordon had the first energetic Denver moment since the first quarter as he spun and finished in the paint, but Jamal missed a three the next time. AG buried a 3 to close it to 4, but Tim missed a transition layup and Joker got to the line. Gordon put back his own miss to cut it to a bucket, but Harden made a layup to answer. THJ had his shot blocked, Jokic missed a couple shots and the Clippers finished in transition to put it back to 8. Christian Braun left the game limping again with the same injury and was done for the night. Jokic hit a pair of threes, Kris Dunn and James Harden made buckets and got to the line, and Bruce Brown’s forced turnover led to an AG 3 in the final minute. Harden suckered three free throws out of Spencer Jones, AG got free throws the other way, and despite a bad quarter Denver went into the half down just 5 at 68-63.
Spencer Jones opened the scoring with a three for Denver, then Gordon made two free throws and the game was suddenly tied. AG missed a three the next time down, but Jamal Murray made a driving layup and forced an early Clippers timeout. Jones had a great dunk for the Clippers but AG hit a nice baseline turnaround, then Jokic finished a three-point play after the Clippers unsuccessfully challenged and made a nice Murray-assisted layup. Denver had some nice defensive possessions but then Zubac made a two that Hardaway answered with a 3 for Denver off a Jokic assist but Dunn was in his landing area so THJ got a free throw too. Hardaway and Jokic each buried threes to bust the lead out to 14 at 90-76, with 42 of those points from Jokic. Bruce Brown hit a nice jumpshot and Harden’s free throws and layup were answered by finished drives from Joker. Brook Lopez made a three for the Clippers to try to stem the tide, but Jokic hit a fallaway right over him. Jokic was unstoppable but Jordan Miller made a pair of threes to keep the Clippers in touch. Jokic found Watson for a dunk and Jamal Murray passed David Thompson for career Nuggets points with the buzzer-beater as Denver took a 106-90 lead into the fourth.
Valanciunas made a pair of buckets around a Nic Batum 3 in the beginning of the fourth. Jamal hit a three and a made a nice layup, then got a few free throws for his efforts. Peyton Watson blocked Zubac’s shot, then Murray buried a three over Zubac. Val had a great assist to Gordon for a finish and a 22 point lead at 117-95, but Miller hit yet another 3 for the Clips. Batum hit a 3 and the Clippers fouled Big Val a couple of times to keep Joker at the scorers table, but eventually Jokic got back in and tipped in a Bruce miss right before a fan charged the court and stopped play briefly. Jokic got back to the line, and that was it for the Clippers who pulled their starters (as Denver did) shortly after and garbage time commenced. The final score was 130-116.
Final Thoughts
-Health, first and foremost. It’s never good when a guy has to leave his arm hanging at his side – it indicates a pretty serious injury for Cam Johnson on the rebound gone wrong. The Nuggets said during the game it was an “arm strain” but that can be anything from a flexor bundle tweak to a rupture of a bicep tendon, so that doesn’t clear anything up. I hope it’s minor, but much like with Christian Braun and his leg injury they will likely miss multiple games very easily based on how they looked.
Braun came back in the game after bumping knees with Harden and twisting his ankle, then tried to give it another go and injured it again. Letting him come back in the first place is a mistake the training staff likes to make – I wish they were either willing or able to protect players from the moment. He left practically dragging his leg on his way back to the locker room for the second time in the game. Denver being deeper is good – they have players to step in and help. But Denver needs its depth and its starters, so hopefully the injuries to Cam and Christian heal fast. Last year’s months-long calf saga with Aaron Gordon literally cost Denver a chance to beat the Thunder, though, so if the Nuggets need to give guys rest to recover, here is hoping they are allowed and able to fully recover.
-Jokic is the greatest basketball player in the world. I don’t know how else to put it, or what else to say. Jokic had 25 points, 5 rebounds but just one assist in the first quarter, because the rest of the Denver squad had a rough start and looked to have heavy legs. Jokic put them on his back, outscoring the Clippers starting 5 single-handedly, and did so efficiently. 33 minutes, 23 shots, and Los Angeles fouled him but could not slow him in any way. They played him to score, and he scored and led the team by example to push through the back-to-back weariness and rip the victory away from the Clippers. He’s simply one of the greatest to ever play, and every single game is a chance to see someone the likes of which will never come again. Enjoy it now – I do.
-Denver defense in the second half. Denver’s defense was not great in this one, especially in the first half and definitely not against three-point shooters, but the third quarter put the game away for Denver and broke the Clippers. Jokic went ballistic scoring again, but also Denver limited Harden, grabbed a bunch of rebounds, played good situational defense and closed off the transition game. On a night when few other than Joker had anything to give offensively, and they wound up very short-handed, they got it done by finding other ways to contribute. Shout-out to Spencer Jones in particular for that effort.
Nikola Jokić comes up to hedge this Harden pick-and-roll, and Spencer Jones does a nice job recovering back to Harden. Also, peep Jamal Murray tagging Zubac.
Then, Tim Hardaway Jr. stays in front of John Collins after the switch and forces the steal.
Awesome Nuggets defense. pic.twitter.com/27TUPfYFAf
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) November 13, 2025
