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Paul George Drops 32 as Clippers Defeat Nikola Jokic, Nuggets in Game 3 - Bleacher Report

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Los Angeles Clippers' Paul George (13) drives past Denver Nuggets' Gary Harris (14) during the first half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Clippers are yet to lose two games in a row in these playoffs, and they weren't about to start Monday.

L.A. defeated the Denver Nuggets 113-107 in Game 3 of their Western Conference second-round playoff series at Walt Disney World Resort and took a 2-1 lead in the process. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard spearheaded the victorious effort, helping their team bounce back from a Game 2 loss.

An impressive showing from Nikola Jokic was not enough for the Nuggets, who will now have to win three of the next four to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009.

          

Notable Player Stats

  • Paul George, F, LAC: 32 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 12-of-18 FG, 5-of-7 3PT
  • Kawhi Leonard, F, LAC: 23 PTS, 14 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK
  • Nikola Jokic, C, DEN: 32 PTS, 12 REB, 8 AST, 7 TO
  • Michael Porter Jr., F, DEN: 18 PTS, 10 REB, 3 STL
  • Jamal Murray, G, DEN: 14 PTS, 9 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 5-of-17 FG

            

Kawhi, PG-13 Take Over for Clippers

Leonard's status as a dominant playoff performer is already secured considering he has an NBA Finals MVP for the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs. There are few steadier players in the league, and he has once again been a force in these playoffs.

Except for Game 2.

He finished that loss with a mere 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting while failing to score in the fourth quarter. It was the first time he scored less than 29 points all playoffs and put him under the spotlight coming into Monday's contest.

Kawhi was much better out of the gates in Game 3 as he refused to settle for low-percentage jumpers, worked his way into the lane, hit his patented mid-range shots and generated the offense as a facilitator as well when Denver collapsed on him.

George took advantage of the resultant space and quickly found his stroke, which was crucial for the Clippers considering how inconsistent their No. 2 option has been in the playoffs. The pair of stars combined for 31 points by halftime, keeping their side in it when none of their teammates had more than six.

George also kept the Clippers afloat with a strong third quarter and helped counter a flurry of incredible play from Jokic.

Winning time belonged to the two stars.

In the final five minutes, Leonard threaded a perfect pass to Ivica Zubac for an and-1 dunk, connected from mid-range, found Montrezl Harrell with another beautiful pass and stuffed Jamal Murray's dunk attempt with just his middle finger. George drew a key charge on Murray and provided stifling defense as L.A. pulled ahead with a 23-10 run to win the game.

             

Poor Finish Spoils Jokic's Efforts

While Murray's showdowns with Donovan Mitchell defined the first round, this series is a battle of duos.

Murray and Jokic combined for 27 points in the Game 1 loss as Leonard and George outplayed them but bounced back with a combined 53 points in the Game 2 win even though L.A. can throw its two wing stars and Patrick Beverley on Murray.

The Clippers don't have as many elite defenders to match up with Jokic, who wasted no time doing a little bit of everything on triple-double watch out of the gates. He worked in pick-and-rolls, found cutters with precision passes and demonstrated a soft shooting touch of his own, which in turn opened up more passing lanes for him to find his teammates.

Michael Porter Jr. capitalized on that space by getting to the rim and hitting multiple threes as Denver built a 12-point lead in the first half. He also treated fans to one of the best highlights of the bubble by skying over Harrell for a one-handed slam in the third quarter.

That may not have even been the most impressive part of the third quarter for the Nuggets, as Jokic was unstoppable during a three-minute stretch that saw him hit a jumper, unleash an unbelievable full-court pass to Jerami Grant on a one-hand rebound and drill three triples to extend his team's lead to double digits.

However, it all went missing in crunch time.

Denver scored 10 points in the final eight minutes as its lead slipped away. Jokic hesitated on an important three and was unable to control the contest like he did in the early going, and Leonard's block of Murray's dunk was a microcosm of the overall struggles for the guard as the Nuggets' stars couldn't keep up with L.A.'s.

          

What's Next?

Game 4 of the series is Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

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Paul George Drops 32 as Clippers Defeat Nikola Jokic, Nuggets in Game 3 - Bleacher Report
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