Clippers-Nuggets Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Apr 17 2012 2:15PM

The Denver Nuggets' most recent victory helped the Los Angeles Clippers clinch their first playoff berth in six years.

It also moved them closer to securing a postseason spot of their own.

Denver seeks its fifth win in six games Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center, but Los Angeles will be looking for a fifth consecutive victory and a third in four tries against the Nuggets this season.

Thanks to the Nuggets' 105-102 victory at Houston on Monday, the Clippers (38-23) had locked up their first playoff berth since 2006 before defeating Oklahoma City 92-77 later in the night.

Blake Griffin scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which has loftier goals than simply qualifying for the postseason.

"It is something that we're happy about, but by no means is that all we want," Griffin said. "That was one of our goals coming in, but it goes farther than that."

Chris Paul, acquired from New Orleans in December to help turn around a franchise that has won a single playoff series since 1976, scored 12 points and added 10 assists.

The surging Clippers have won 12 of their last 14.

"This is a great feeling," Paul said. "We can celebrate it, be excited about it tonight but tomorrow we're back at work."

Los Angeles' lone playoff series victory in the last 35 years came in five games over Denver in 2006 - also the last season the Clippers took three regular-season meetings from the Nuggets.

Paul had 25 points and seven assists in a 109-105 road win Jan. 29 in the first matchup. Danilo Gallinari scored a game-high 21 points in Denver's 112-91 victory Feb. 2, but Paul's season-high 36 helped the Clippers to a 103-95 win Feb. 22 in the most recent meeting.

The stakes are higher this time around, with the Clippers chasing the Lakers for the Pacific Division title and the Nuggets (34-27) trying to secure their own postseason spot.

With Monday's win, Denver moved into sixth place in the Western Conference, one-half game ahead of defending champion Dallas and two games clear of the Rockets and Phoenix.

Arron Afflalo scored a game-high 26 points and Ty Lawson added 25 for the Nuggets, who now seek their first three-game winning streak since a four-game run Feb. 29-March 5.

"Our awareness of where we are in the season is really starting to heighten now," Afflalo said. "Before, we used to go out there and compete and play the games. Now, we have an ulterior motive almost, in terms of understanding playoff positioning. That's good for a young team."

Coach George Karl's squad has won a season-high five straight at home. This will be his 20th consecutive season as an NBA coach with a team finishing .500 or better.

"We had opportunities to give up on the game and we didn't do it," Karl said. "It's a huge win for us."

The Nuggets have averaged 107.8 points over their last five games, and they lead the league with 103.6 per game this season. The Clippers, though, held the high-powered Thunder to a season-low 25 points in the second half Monday, keeping their opponent under 100 for the 13th time in their last 15 games.

"We have enough offensive power to play with anybody, but our defense is what triggers us," Paul said.

The Clippers' road win over the Nuggets in January ended a nine-game skid in Denver.

Martin leads Clippers past Nuggets 104-98

By ARNIE STAPLETON
Posted Apr 19 2012 2:10AM

DENVER (AP) Kenyon Martin spent seven seasons patrolling the paint in Denver. He gave the Pepsi Center crowd something else to remember him by Wednesday night.

Martin helped beat his old team with a tip-in and blocked shot in the final half-minute, leading the Los Angeles Clippers past the Nuggets 104-98 in a crucial game between teams jockeying for playoff position.

"It's about winning basketball," Martin said. "Just never quit playing no matter what the situation is, always put yourself in a position to make plays. Just trying to get a `W.' We're fighting for playoff position. We did an excellent job as a unit just staying with it."

Martin, especially. He tipped in Chris Paul's missed jumper with 27 seconds left and the game tied at 96.

"That was my only rebound tonight," said Martin, who logged 30 minutes. "So, it was perfect timing."

He wasn't finished.

Martin hustled back down court and blocked Ty Lawson at the other end with 20 seconds remaining.

After a timeout, Paul drew what the Nuggets thought was a phantom foul and made two free throws with 18.3 seconds left to make it a four-point game.

The Nuggets got back within two on Lawson's free throws with 16 seconds left, but Mo Williams, who scored 19 points and came up huge in the fourth quarter, replied with two free throws and Paul capped the game with an uncontested dunk to finish with 24 points.

Martin wasn't exactly welcomed back by the crowd that used to cheer his every move.

"It's cool, whatever. It's about winning, it's not about anything else," Martin said. "They are cheering for their team, which I expect them to do. I had a good seven years here and they cheered for me every time I was here. I was here for a long time, played a lot of winning basketball, made the playoffs seven years, seven out of seven."

Martin and the Nuggets went their separate ways after last season. Martin played in China briefly during the NBA lockout, then signed a one-year deal with the Clippers, whose coach, Vinny Del Negro, is now enjoying the many things the veteran forward brings to his lineup.

"He has instincts for the ball with his athleticism and quickness. He can read situations because he has that experience," Del Negro said. "He made a big tip-in, had a big block. He helps us anchor our defense because he can switch out at the end of games and guard guards, 2s, 3s and you don't have to double at all with him. He just gives you more versatility."

And game-winning plays in crunch time.

That it was Martin who beat them made this loss all the more painful for the Nuggets, who are 1 1/2 games ahead of eighth-place Utah.

"He made some big plays down the stretch," guard Arron Afflalo said. "You hate to single out one singular play as to why you lose a basketball game, but the rebound and the block were huge for them."

With their 13th win in 15 games, the Clippers kept pressure on the Lakers as the two L.A. teams took their fight for first place in the Pacific Division down to the wire.

Despite 24 points from Lawson, the Nuggets lost at home for the first time since March 19, and slipped into seventh place in the West, a half-game behind Dallas, which beat Houston 117-110 on Wednesday.

The Nuggets have four games left, three on the road, as they try to secure their ninth straight trip to the playoffs.

"We're going to have to win a couple more games," Denver coach George Karl said.

The Clippers matched their season-high with 14 3-pointers, including four each from Caron Butler and Williams and three from Nick Young.

Two of Williams' 3s came during a 10-0 run the Clippers used to turn an 87-82 deficit into a 92-87 lead.

Williams' most impressive 3-pointer came with the Clippers clinging to a 92-89 lead. Paul lost the handle on the ball with the shot clock winding down, Williams scooped it up and let loose an off-balance prayer that swished as the buzzer went off, giving the Clippers a six-point lead with 3 minutes left.

Notes: Nuggets G Wilson Chandler's season is done because of a bad hip. He said he hopes to have surgery next week. ... Kosta Koufos was called for a foul one time even though Paul was hanging on his left arm. ... The Clippers also hit 14 3s in Denver on Jan. 29.

Notebook: Clippers 104, Nuggets 98

Posted Thursday April 19, 2012 1:30AM

By Michael Kelly, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Kenyon Martin scored the go-ahead basket on a tip-in with 27.1 seconds remaining before blocking the potential game-tying shot on the ensuing possession, helping the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Denver Nuggets 104-98 on Wednesday night.

Chris Paul had 21 points to lead the Clippers, who won their fifth straight and 13th in the past 15 games. Mo Williams added 19 points, Caron Butler had 14 and Nick Young 13. Blake Griffin finished with 12 points after being limited to two points in the first half.

Ty Lawson had 24 points to lead the Nuggets, who lost at home for the first time since a March 19 setback to Dallas. Al Harrington added 14 points for Denver, which saw its home winning streak snapped at five games.

QUOTABLE: "We're happy with any win we can get any way we can get it. Denver is a tough, tough team and this is a tough place to play and to pull one out like that is great."
-- Griffin

THE STAT: The Clippers connected on 14 3-pointers in the victory over the Nuggets, matching their season high. The Clippers also had 14 3s in a Jan. 29 game against the Nuggets.

TURNING POINT: Andre Miller made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 96-all with 52.8 seconds left to play. On the Clippers' next trip down the floor, Paul missed a jumper but Martin, a former Nugget who played in Denver for seven years, went over traffic for the rebound and put the ball back in the net to give the Clippers the lead. Martin then hustled down the floor to block Lawson's attempted layup. Paul then hit a couple of free throws to stretch the Clippers advantage to four points in the final seconds.

QUOTABLE II: "You hate to single out one singular play as to why you lose an entire basketball game but his rebound and then the block was huge for them."
-- Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo on the two key plays by Martin.

HOT: Paul's 21 points marked the 27th time this season he has scored 20 or more points in a game. Kosta Koufos had 12 points for Denver to score in double digits for the eighth time this season.

GOOD MOVE: Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro kept Martin on the floor in the final minute and it paid off when Martin blocked Lawson's potential tying shot to keep the Clippers ahead by two.

QUOTABLE III: "It's about winning basketball. You never quit playing, no matter what the situation is. Always put yourself in position to make plays. It was perfect timing."
-- Martin, on his key plays down the stretch.

NOTABLE: The Clippers won the season series with the Nuggets 3-1. Griffin was held to 12 points and didn't block a shot, marking the third time this season that he has scored 12 or fewer points while not registering a block.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Thursday @ Phoenix, Sunday vs. New Orleans, Tuesday @ Atlanta. For the Nuggets, Saturday @ Phoenix, Sunday vs. Orlando, Wednesday @ Oklahoma City.

• Clippers: Billups, Leslie
• Nuggets: Chandler, Fernandez

• Clippers: Jordan
• Nuggets: Faried, Miller

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #33 Zach Zarba, #45 Brian Forte
• Attendance: 17219
• Duration: 2:24