SPORT / MISCELLANY
Nuggets edge Clippers in OT
Nets hold off late Wizards rally to win 119-118
Published: Jan 20, 2022 10:03 PM
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 19, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Photo: VCG

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 19, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Photo: VCG


Nikola Jokic had 49 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, Aaron Gordon hit a three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in overtime and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 130-128 on Wednesday night.

Jokic finished one point short of his career high, and Gordon wound up with 28 points. Monte Morris had 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Jeff Green scored 12 for Denver.

Ivica Zubac scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Reggie Jackson had 28 points and 12 assists, Brandon Boston Jr scored 16 points and Eric Bledsoe finished with 13 for Los Angeles.

Zubac tied the game with a layup with 26.4 seconds left before the ­Nuggets' final play. With the clock shot running down, Jokic threw a cross-court pass to Gordon in the corner, and Gordon drained a trey as the shot clock expired.

Denver's Davon Reed raced on the court in celebration and was hit with a technical foul. Luke Kennard made the free throw, but Jackson missed a desperation shot from halfcourt at the buzzer.

Terance Mann hit a three-pointer with 3:48 left in overtime to put the Clippers ahead 119-116. Los Angeles led 123-120 before Jokic hit a put-back, stole the ball and then tipped in a Morris miss to give Denver the lead with 1:11 left. Zubac had another put-back and Jokic converted a three-point play with 34.5 seconds left to put Denver up by two.

The Nuggets jumped out to an 86-81 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Clippers rallied to take a 101-95 lead. Los Angeles soon went up by eight, but Denver rallied to tie it at 108-108 and then at 110-110 with 1:34 remaining.

The teams traded buckets in the final minute to send it into overtime.

In Washington, the Brooklyn Nets thwarted a late Wizards rally to escape with a 119-118 victory, their first since star Kevin Durant was sidelined by a knee sprain on Saturday.

Kyrie Irving led Brooklyn with 30 points, his highest total since rejoining the team despite declining to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Irving can only play away games, since New York's vaccine mandate won't allow him to play in the Nets' Barclays Center arena.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points off the bench, while James Harden added 18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

The Wizards trailed by 16 points in the third quarter, but Kyle Kuzma's three-pointer with 36.6 seconds remaining cut the deficit to one.

Irving then missed a three-pointer and Harden had a shot blocked. With one last possession, the Wizards couldn't get it done, as Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie both missed three-point attempts.

The Nets remained in third place in the East behind Chicago and Miami.

The Bulls snapped a four-game skid with a 117-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Heat beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-92 in Miami.