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The LA Clippers will host the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena for an enticing 2021-22 NBA season game on Sunday.
The Nuggets are in a bit of a slump right now, having lost three of their last four games. They lost to the Charlotte Hornets 107-115 in their previous outing. Meanwhile, the Clippers snapped a three-game skid with a 105-89 blowout win over the Sacramento Kings in their last match.
Match Details
Fixture: Denver Nuggets vs LA Clippers | NBA Season 2021-22
Date & Time: Sunday, December 26th, 9:00 PM ET [Monday, December 27th, 7:30 AM]
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA.
Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets are coming off one of the most disappointing losses of their campaign. They could have defeated the Hornets by a huge margin and potentially secured their biggest win of the season thus far. However, they blew a 19-point advantage after yet another disappointing fourth-quarter performance.
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic did all he could to help his team get over the line, scoring 29 points and securing 21 rebounds on the night. However, his efforts weren't enough as the Nuggets failed to build off the momentum they had throughout the game into the last quarter. Charlotte outscored them 38-13 in that period.
The Denver Nuggets have been struggling with injuries all season long, which hasn't helped their woeful display on the offensive end. The rest of the players aside from Jokic will have to step up, to improve Denver's chances against the LA Clippers.
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
The LA Clippers could look to win this game on the back of their defensive prowess with multiple stars like Paul George and Reggie Jackson sidelined for this game. That said, Nikola Jokic's performance will be decisive in determining the winner of this contest. The Denver Nuggets will be hoping their star big man produces a season-best performance to help them get back to winning ways.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
G - Monte Morris, G - Will Barton, F - Aaron Gordon, F - Jeff Green, C - Nikola Jokic.
LA Clippers Preview
The LA Clippers are set to undergo a difficult stretch of the season, as they will be without star player Paul George for at least a month. The forward endured a UCL injury to his elbow. The Clippers are also without key players like Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris and Isaiah Hartenstein, who are in the league's health and safety protocols.
George played the last game despite his injury, scoring 17 points, 12 in the fourth quarter to help his side record a thumping win over the Kings. The Clippers' overall performance in that game was quite impressive as they took control early on and never looked back.
The LA Clippers stayed aggressive throughout the match and were calculative with their offensive possessions. They scored 56 points inside the paint after finding it difficult to make shots from long range. LA ended up making only seven threes on 24 attempts.
Key Player - Luke Kennard
The LA Clippers will be hoping that Luke Kennard has another huge scoring night as they aim to win against the Denver Nuggets without their best player, Paul Goerge. George has been their primary scoring option thus far, and in his absence, Kennard has done a decent job lately. The backup guard has been averaging 16 points since the start of December, shooting on a 48/53/100 split.
LA Clippers Predicted Lineup
G - Eric Bledsoe, G - Luke Kennard, F - Terance Mann, F - Nicolas Batum, C - Ivica Zubac.
Nuggets vs Clippers Match Prediction
The Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers are in similar situations considering their injury problems. The Nuggets have struggled with form and do not have the momentum the Clippers possess, though. LA also has homecourt advantage for this contest. These factors will favor Ty Lue's men and give them a better chance of winning this tie.
Where to watch Nuggets vs Clippers
Altitude and Bally Sports SoCal will cover the game between the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers locally. Fans can also view the match online via NBA League Pass.
