Paul George Leads Clippers to Christmas Win over Nuggets; Kawhi Leonard Injured

The Los Angeles Clippers learned their lesson from last season's Western Conference Semifinals. They didn't waste any opportunity to put the Denver Nuggets away on Christmas in a 121-108 road victory.

It was the Nuggets who stormed back from a 3-1 series deficit last postseason to eliminate the Clippers in stunning fashion—a loss that haunted Los Angeles all offseason as the rival Lakers celebrated another title. It also was partly responsible for former head coach Doc Rivers' departure.

At least on Friday, the team and first-year head coach Tyronn Lue didn't let the Nuggets complete another comeback.

The win moves Los Angeles to 2-0 while Denver drops to 0-2 following a brutal overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings to open the season. 

Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard exited after an inadvertent elbow from teammate Serge Ibaka left him bloodied with six minutes left in regulation. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest.  

Notable Performers

Paul George, SG, Los Angeles Clippers: 23 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds 

Kawhi Leonard, SF, Los Angeles Clippers: 21 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds

Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets: 24 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds

Jamal Murray, PG, Denver Nuggets: 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Nuggets Comeback Falls Short

It was beginning to feel a lot like the NBA bubble late in the third quarter on Friday. 

In each win against the Clippers last postseason, the Nuggets started out with a double-digit deficit. So as Los Angeles saw its 24-point lead begin to shrink in the final frame, there was certainly cause for concern—just as there was a reason why the Nuggets suddenly seemed so powerful again.

After struggling for most of the night, point guard Jamal Murray finally found his rhythm and began draining shots, pulling Denver within 11 points on two occasions. It was as close as the Nuggets would get to stunning what's quickly becoming their Western Conference rival. 

Yet Denver might not have needed to even attempt another comeback had Murray been able to convert more opportunities early on. The 23-year-old was one-for-four from the floor with four points at halftime and didn't sink his second field goal until less than eight minutes to play in the third quarter. From there he went on a scoring blitz to finish nine-for-20 with four three-pointers but it was too late. 

Even with Nikola Jokic coming close to a second-straight triple-double to open the season, Denver needed more firepower in the first half to keep pace with the Clippers. As Michael Porter Jr. (10 points) and Monte Morris (13 points) worked to balance out the offense, the lack of scoring from Murray was too noticeable. 

ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson implored Murray to "wake up" on the broadcast as his sloppy play began to cost his team. 

The Nuggets now find themselves winless through two games. A slow start from Murray to begin the night has led to a rough start for Denver as a whole. 

George's Hot Hand Leads Offense 

Paul George didn't need much time to get going on Friday. He was firing from deep almost as soon as the ball was tipped. 

For the second game in a row, George knocked down five three-pointers and finished with 23 points or more. That he added another nine assists showed how well the new pieces are fitting in on the Clippers. Of the team's 41 made field goals, 32 came on assists. That's efficiency Lue can work with and then some. 

Nicolas Batum added 13 points and 10 boards while Luke Kennard added another eight points and six rebounds himself. Another 15 points from Ibaka had Denver's defense spread thin. 

It was the presence of L.A.'s newcomers that worried Nuggets head coach Michael Malone coming into the game. 

Malone told ESPN sideline reporter Malika Andrews his team didn't even study film from last year's playoff series because the Clippers personnel had changed so much.

In the end, it was the same elite duo of George and Leonard that doomed Denver. The two combined for 44 points and 16 assists. Those numbers likely would have kept rising had Ibaka's elbow not knocked Leonard out of the game. 

Lue said Leonard received eight stitches for a mouth laceration and "he's going to be fine." Given how well the Clippers played on Friday, that might be the best development of the day. With George and Leonard clicking, the Clippers are proving they won't be pushed over again. 

What's Next

The Clippers return home to face the Dallas Mavericks (0-2) on Sunday after Luka Doncic & Co. fell to the Lakers 138-115 in their Christmas matchup. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV. Denver, meanwhile, is set to face a Houston Rockets team that will make its season debut against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. The Nuggets and Rockets meet on Monday at 9 p.m. ET.