Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Postgame Grades and Analysis
After sluggish first and third quarters, the Los Angeles Clippers rode Jamal Crawford's hot shooting down the stretch to beat the Denver Nuggets, 102-98, on Monday at the Staples Center.
Crawford scored 21 of his 23 points in the final frame, matching the output of the entire Nuggets team in the fourth.
Denver, meanwhile, lost the game because of its inability to close out halves, losing the second and fourth quarters by a combined 26 points.
| Chris Paul | B+ |
| Blake Griffin | B+ |
| DeAndre Jordan | B+ |
| J.J. Redick | D- |
| Jamal Crawford | A |
| Matt Barnes | B+ |
| Rest of Team | B |
| Ty Lawson | A- |
| Kenneth Faried | C+ |
| Wilson Chandler | B- |
| Arron Afflalo | B |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Paul: B+
Even after all these years, Chris Paul has a knack for raising his game to another level when his team needs it most.
He was fairly reserved for the first three quarters of the game, but as the Nuggets were threatening to get the win, Paul turned from floor general to deadly scorer, hitting big jump shots down the stretch.
He finished with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go with eight assists and five boards. The one drawback, though, was a big one: He wasn't able to slow Ty Lawson on the other end.
Blake Griffin: B+
Denver's bigs did a good job of playing physical defense against Griffin, forcing him to play most of the game outside the paint. Griffin was very willing to concede in those battles, settling for way too many long jumpers.
It wasn't all bad, though. A big plus in Griffin's perimeter game is his passing ability. When he wasn't lofting jump shots, Griffin displayed great vision and passing touch, finishing the game with 10 assists.
So despite the poor 6-of-17 shooting performance, his overall line that also included 14 points and nine rebounds was crucial for the Clippers.
DeAndre Jordan: B+
It wasn't as consistent as it has been in other games, but there were still moments when DeAndre Jordan physically dominated the interior.
One sequence at the end of the first half was particularly impressive, as he blocked three straight shots before receiving an alley-oop from Griffin on the other end.
He would go on to finish the game with 12 rebounds, seven points and four blocks.
J.J. Redick: D-
J.J. Redick wasn't able to make many positive plays as he struggled to deliver on his specialty, shooting the three.
He played just 19 minutes because of a cool shooting touch that led to his parking a 2-of-10 in the box score.
He struggled defensively as well, failing to bother Arron Afflalo on many of his attempts.
Jamal Crawford: A
With Redick struggling, the Clippers needed Jamal Crawford to pick up some of the slack. And that's exactly what he did.
He scored 23 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter, where he was particularly impressive. In one sequence with less than two minutes on the clock, Crawford saved an errant pass from Paul and in one motion flipped it behind to Matt Barnes for two.
He's supposed to be the Clippers' spark off the bench, but Monday he was a flamethrower, hitting pull-up jumper after pull-up jumper, and sinking clutch free throws down the stretch.
Matt Barnes: B+
Matt Barnes has taken a lot of heat this season, with many analysts and fans suggesting that the Clippers need to upgrade at the small forward position.
All Barnes has done is quietly put together a solid season in the face of the criticism on the backs of games like these.
He went 7-of-11 from the field for 18 points.
Rest of Team: B
The Clippers bench was pretty solid beyond Crawford, as Spencer Hawes, Austin Rivers and Glen Davis were all able to contribute in spot minutes.
Hawes and Rivers combined for eight points on 4-of-7 shooting. Davis, meanwhile, was the one source of energy for the Clippers in an otherwise dead third quarter. He finished with eight points on 2-of-2 shooting.
Denver Nuggets
Ty Lawson: A-
As good as Paul was, he may have been outdueled by Lawson, who finished the game with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go with 11 assists.
Lawson showed his innate ability to see tiny creases in the defense and attack them with his explosive first step. Once he got into the teeth of the defense, his decision-making was great, as he took the lanes that were given to him or set up his teammates when the D collapsed.
Kenneth Faried: C+
Kenneth Faried did a good job of finishing around the rim as his teammates set him up inside, as he finished with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
He mostly neutralized on the boards, though, grabbing just two rebounds. The typically devastating glass-crasher was kept off the boards by Griffin and Jordan, who did a good job of sealing off the paint to would-be attackers.
Wilson Chandler: B-
Wilson Chandler started the game red-hot, helping the Nuggets jump out to an early lead. But as his touch wore off, so did Denver's grasp on the game.
"Holy crap, Nuggets coming out with better energy than they have in years.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 27, 2015"
He scored 18 points, but it took him 18 shots to get there. He made up for the poor shooting, to some extent, by grabbing 10 rebounds.
Arron Afflalo: B
The third scorer in Denver's attack was Afflalo, who dropped 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also did a great job of creating, as he finished with six assists.
Defensively, he did a good job against Redick, but he struggled with Crawford in the stints in which they were matched up.
Rest of Team: C+
Joining Chandler on the boards was Jusuf Nurkic, who grabbed 10 in 29 minutes. He also did a decent job of protecting the rim, as he blocked three shots.
Darrell Arthur and Danilo Gallinari were decent as well, as they each chipped in with eight points on 3-of-7 shooting. But that was about it. Jameer Nelson, Randy Foye and J.J. Hickson combined to score seven points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Coming Up Next
Denver's next game will be Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans. The bigs will have their hands full again, as the Pelicans boast Anthony Davis up front. Another physical defensive effort will be crucial.
The Clippers, meanwhile, will also be on the road, taking on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. They're already 3-0 against the Jazz, and the high-powered offense should be able to get loose against Utah's porous D.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
