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The Clippers washed the Nuggets with no real retaliation, while the Thunder pulled off the second-biggest comeback in NBA Playoff history in Game 3.
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (AP)
Kawhi Leonard had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers rolled to a 117-83 victory over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Thursday night.
James Harden and Norman Powell added 20 points apiece in the first playoff game at the new Intuit Dome, where Clippers superfans sitting in The Wall section closest to Denver’s bench wore horse hats mocking Jokic’s love of the animal.
After the teams split the first two games in Denver — a pair of nail-biters decided by a combined five points — this one was a blowout. Both teams cleared their benches in the final 4 1/2 minutes.
Game 4 is Saturday at the flashy and tech-heavy Inglewood arena, the dream creation of Clippers billionaire owner Steve Ballmer. He animatedly clapped his hands and pumped his fist from his seat near his team’s bench.
Jokic led the Nuggets with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for his second triple-double of the series. Jamal Murray also had 23 points.
Denver’s Russell Westbrook, who missed 4 of 5 from long range, left the game with left foot inflammation in the second half. Michael Porter Jr., who sprained his left shoulder in Game 2, was limited to seven points and six rebounds.
Thunder Muster Mammoth Comeback Against Grizzlies
Chet Holmgren scored all but one of his 24 points in the second half as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 29-point deficit after Ja Morant left the game with a hip injury and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 114-108 on Thursday night for a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
Morant was hurt with just over three minutes left in the first half and Memphis leading 67-40. The Grizzlies led by 26 points at halftime.
The 29-point comeback was the second-largest in an NBA postseason game since play-by-play data began being recorded in the 1996-97 season.
The only one bigger: A comeback from 31 points down by the Los Angeles Clippers against Golden State on April 15, 2019.
CHET HOLMGREN IGNITES A HISTORIC THUNDER COMEBACK 🔥23 of his 24 points came in the 2nd half as OKC erased a 29-point deficit to take a 3-0 series lead! pic.twitter.com/oGMz4jNFG9
— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2025
The top-seeded Thunder, who won Game 1 131-80 in the fifth-biggest margin of victory in NBA postseason history, didn’t even have a lead in this one until the fourth quarter. Now, they can close out the series Saturday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points for Oklahoma City and Jalen Williams added 26, including splitting a pair of free throws with 1:20 left to give the Thunder their first lead of the game.
Scotty Pippen scored 28 points, two short of his career high, to lead Memphis. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points as Memphis saw its substantial lead evaporate in the second half.
Morant went down hard under the basket with just over three minutes remaining in the first half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game early in the second half with a left hip contusion.
Morant had 15 points and five assists when he left the game.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
