LA Clippers at Denver Nuggets
· National Basketball AssociationNikola Jokic returns from knee injury to lead Nuggets past Clippers, 122-109
Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, missed 16 games after injuring his left knee in the first half of a Dec. 29 loss at Miami. The Nuggets went 10-6 during that stretch, which also included extended absences from starters Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun.
Jokic’s 29th double-double of the season came despite being on a minutes restriction imposed by coach David Adelman. The 30-year-old Serbian was limited to 25 minutes, his second-fewest in a game this season.
James Harden had 25 points and nine assists for Los Angeles. The Clippers had won 16 of their previous 19, the best win percentage in that NBA during that period.
Jokic scored 11 points over a stretch of 3:47 in the fourth quarter that extended Denver’s lead from five to 16. The Nuggets improved to 7-3 this season in the second game of a back-to-back.
Jamal Murray had 22 points, and Peyton Watson added 21 for Denver. Murray, who made four of his five 3-pointers and had a team-high nine assists, scored at least 20 points in a game for the 35th time this season, matching a career high.
Clippers: At Phoenix on Sunday night.
Regular Season Series
DEN leads series 2-0
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 109 - 122 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 109 - 122 |
| 4th 1.4 |  |
shot clock turnover | 109 - 122 |
| 4th 25.4 |  |
Jordan Miller makes free throw 1 of 1 | 109 - 122 |
| 4th 25.4 | |
DaRon Holmes II shooting foul | 108 - 122 |
Statistics
 LAC |
 DEN |
|
|---|---|---|
| 40-86 | FG | 40-73 |
| 47 | Field Goal % | 55 |
| 14-40 | 3PT | 16-28 |
| 35 | Three Point % | 57 |
| 15-21 | FT | 26-32 |
| 71 | Free Throw % | 81 |
| 34 | Rebounds | 43 |
| 11 | Offensive Rebounds | 7 |
| 23 | Defensive Rebounds | 36 |
| 29 | Assists | 30 |
| 7 | Steals | 7 |
| 3 | Blocks | 4 |
| 9 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 9 | Total Turnovers | 13 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 13 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 20 |
| 15 | Fast Break Points | 8 |
| 44 | Points in Paint | 40 |
| 21 | Fouls | 18 |
| 7 | Largest Lead | 18 |
| 6 | Lead Changes | 6 |
| 7 | Percent Led | 90 |
Denver Nuggets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer Jones, F | Out | Nov 1 |
| Julian Strawther, G | Out | Oct 16 |
LA Clippers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Derrick Jones Jr., F | Day-To-Day | Nov 2 |
| Rui Hachimura, F | Day-To-Day | Nov 2 |
| Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C | Out | Nov 2 |
| Brandon Ingram, F | Out | Nov 2 |
| Bradley Beal, G | Out | Oct 14 |
Game Information
Location: Denver, CO
Attendance: 20,016 · Capacity:
2026-27 Pacific Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 LA Lakers |
6 | 2 | .750 | - | W2 |
 Golden State |
5 | 3 | .625 | 1 | W5 |
 Phoenix |
1 | 4 | .200 | 3.5 | L3 |
 LA Clippers |
1 | 6 | .143 | 4.5 | L6 |
 Sacramento |
1 | 6 | .143 | 4.5 | W1 |
2026-27 Northwest Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portland |
- | 1 | W2 | 0.8333333 | 5 |
 Oklahoma City |
0.5 | 2 | W1 | 0.71428573 | 5 |
 Minnesota |
1 | 3 | W1 | 0.625 | 5 |
 Denver |
2 | 3 | L1 | 0.5 | 3 |
 Utah |
4.5 | 6 | L5 | 0.14285715 | 1 |
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