A pair of teams mired in inconsistency despite significant expectations will get a chance to compare notes Monday when the Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers have lost seven of their last 11 games and are just 4-6 since James Harden joined the group after a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. But things are much improved with Los Angeles winning four of its last five after a 107-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
The champion Nuggets pulled off a 132-120 victory at home over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday but are just 3-5 since Nov. 12. One of those three victories, though, was against the Clippers, 111-108 at home on Nov. 14.
When the Clippers were at Denver two weeks ago, the effort to incorporate Harden into the mix was well under way. The night ended with the team’s fifth consecutive defeat with Harden on the floor but Los Angeles did appear to be finding some unity.
Indeed, Los Angeles has won four of five games since, with the lone defeat 116-106 at home on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Against the Mavericks, Paul George scored 25 points in a comfortable victory that came with just eight points each from Kawhi Leonard and Harden.
Harden has appeared content in more of a ball-distribution role of late. He has a combined 17 assists in his past two games compared to 16 field-goal attempts. He scored eight points in each of the past two games, going a combined 4 of 16 from the field.
“Kawhi and James didn’t have a great (shooting) night, and to beat a good team like (the Mavericks), says a lot,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said of the win over Dallas. “Our bench was really good as well. Defensively, that’s how you’re going to win games … and we showed that.”
The Nuggets received 39 points and 11 rebounds from Nikola Jokic and 25 points from Michael Porter Jr. in handling the Spurs on Sunday. The Nuggets improved to 8-0 at home but they are just 3-6 on the road after a recent 1-4 trip that closed with a 105-86 loss at Houston on Friday.
Denver head coach Michael Malone had been displeased with the play from his bench of late, saying only Justin Holiday had impressed of late. As a reward, Holiday received his first start Sunday and had five points with three assists in 27 minutes.
The Nuggets are just 5-5 since Jamal Murray departed with a right hamstring strain. They were 6-1 before Murray exited and a new rotation has not found its stride. Malone said Murray is “getting closer and closer.”
“That’s the challenge when you have so many young, unproven players off the bench,” Malone said. “But we also have games to win and that delicate balance is a tightrope. But we need to get a win and I’m going to play the guys who are going to help us get a win.”
Nagging injuries have piled up for the Nuggets with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (ankle), Aaron Gordon (heel), Reggie Jackson (back) and Jokic (back) listed as probable before facing the Spurs. All but Gordon ended up playing.
Jackson had 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists as he prepares to face his former team.
–Field Level Media