Nikola Jokic delivered another MVP-caliber performance to lead the Denver Nuggets to a thrilling 112-110 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday.
Jokic scored 29 points, added 12 assists, 9 rebounds, and three steals, while Aaron Gordon contributed 25 points in a gritty comeback win that saw Denver erase a 15-point deficit.
Despite the Nuggets’ star showings, it was Russell Westbrook’s clutch play that stole the spotlight late in the game.
Westbrook’s key basket late in the fourth quarter gave Denver their first lead since the opening period, and his three-pointer with just 24.1 seconds remaining put the Nuggets ahead 98-96.
James Harden responded with a bucket to tie it for the Clippers, sending the game into overtime after Denver’s last play was disrupted.
In the extra session, Gordon opened scoring with a dunk before Jokic set up Christian Braun for a crucial three-pointer. Denver held firm in the closing seconds, with Jokic sealing the win at the free-throw line.
Harden finished with 32 points, Kawhi Leonard added 27, and Ivica Zubac had 21 for the Clippers, but the defending champions stood tall under interim coach David Adelman following a turbulent end to the regular season.
“Not the prettiest, but we made enough plays to win,” Adelman said.
Westbrook’s heroics also earned him two significant milestones: he now holds the record for most made clutch shots by a point guard in NBA history and has climbed to 20th on the all-time assists list.
