The Denver Nuggets visit the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers. The game gets underway at 10:30 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 13 and will air on Altitude and FSN-PT.
The Clippers beat the Grizzlies 94-86 on Saturday. DeAndre Jordan fueled the Clippers, recording 16 points and 16 rebounds to notch his 45th double-double this season. The Nuggets, meanwhile, are coming off a bitter 144-143 loss at the hands of the Mavericks on Friday. Danilo Gallinari had a good shooting night, leading the game with 47 points.
Over the last five games, a number of players have played at a high level for the Clippers. Jordan has led the way, averaging 13.4 points, 15.8 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.6 steals, and 2.0 blocks. J.J. Redick (21.4 PTS, 2.6 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.6 STL, and 3.4 3PM) and Chris Paul (21.0 PTS, 4.8 REB, 13.0 AST, 2.2 STL, and 2.2 3PM) have also played lights out. Gallinari has also been on a tear in the same span, averaging 20.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 3.4 three-pointers while leading the Nuggets.
The Clippers have won two out of three against the Nuggets this season, including a 107-92 victory in their last matchup. Chris Paul was a top performer in the victory with 23 points, five rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and four three-pointers.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. The Clippers enter the game with records of 54-26 Straight Up (SU) and 37-43 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been able to pull off wins at home against the Western Conference, going 19-6, but have struggled ATS with a record of 10-15. The Clippers come into the game with the second-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 106.6 points per game. Los Angeles has the third-most assists in the NBA, averaging 24.8 per game.
Across the court, the Nuggets head into the game with records of 33-43-3 ATS and 29-50 SU. In Western Conference games, Denver has gone 18-31 SU and 20-27-2 ATS.
Los Angeles beat Denver in their most recent meeting this season, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the past 10 meetings. However, with a 6-4 record, the Nuggets have the advantage ATS. Denver has held the edge in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) three times over the last 10, while Los Angeles accomplished this twice.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC, ATS Winner – LAC
Notes
On average, Denver scores 100.9 points per game (ranked 14th). Los Angeles ranks 16th in points allowed per game with 100.1.
Denver ranks 17th in points per away game with 98.0 points, while Los Angeles ranks 13th in points allowed at home with 97.9.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Clippers are a stellar 34-4. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Denver Nuggets have a subpar record of 4-29.
The Los Angeles Clippers have a 20-22 record when their opponents score at least 100 points. The Denver Nuggets have a 25-21 record when they register triple digits.
The Clippers have the league’s top offensive rating (109.4). The Nuggets have a defensive rating of 104.7 (ranked 23rd).
Los Angeles averages fewer possessions per game than Denver, with 97.5 compared to 99.9. However, the Clippers score an average of 1.094 points per possession, more than the 1.010 that the Nuggets score.
Los Angeles is ranked second in the NBA with an average effective field goal percentage of 53.3%. Denver has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-22).
The Los Angeles Clippers, ranked third in the NBA, average 24.8 assists per game. The Denver Nuggets make 21.6 assists (ranked 15th)
The Los Angeles Clippers average 5.0 blocks per game for a rank of ninth. The Denver Nuggets rank lower (17th), earning 4.6 blocks each game.
The Los Angeles Clippers rank 28th in offensive rebounding, while the Denver Nuggets rank 12th in defensive rebounding.
On average, Los Angeles makes 7.8 steals per game. Denver is an abysmal 13-39 when it allows at least 7 steals.
