Through 3 Quarters
Their last head-to-head December was close, and so far it looks like that’s how the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers will finish this one. After three quarters neither squad has the matchup in the bag, but Denver leads 66-62.
The Nuggets have been riding high on the performance of center Nikola Jokic, who has 15 points and four assists in addition to nine boards. A double-double would be Jokic’s ninth in a row.
Los Angeles hasn’t had any offensive standouts so far with all players held to 13 points or fewer.
Los Angeles hasn’t lost 90% of the games in which they were down heading into the final period this season, so a victory here would be refreshing.
Who’s Playing
Denver @ Los Angeles
Current Records: Denver 20-18; Los Angeles 20-21
What to Know
The Los Angeles Clippers haven’t won a matchup against the Denver Nuggets since Dec. 25 of 2020, but they’ll be looking to end the drought on Tuesday. The Clippers will play host again and welcome Denver to Crypto.com Arena, where tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET. The neutral point spread forecasts a close one for these two.
While not quite a landslide, the game between Los Angeles and the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday was still a pretty decisive one as Los Angeles wrapped it up with a 106-93 win at home. Los Angeles’ small forward Amir Coffey filled up the stat sheet, shooting 5-for-8 from downtown and finishing with 21 points and five boards.
Meanwhile, Denver sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 99-95 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. The team accrued 61 points in the first half and coasted on those for the victory. Center Nikola Jokic (22 points) and point guard Austin Rivers (22 points) were the top scorers for the Nuggets. Austin Rivers’ performance made up for a slower contest against the Sacramento Kings last week. Rivers’ points were the most he has had all year.
Their wins bumped the Clippers to 20-21 and Denver to 20-18. Watch the matchup and check back on CBS Sports to find out who keeps up the positive energy and who hits a stumbling block.
How To Watch
When: Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ETWhere: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, CaliforniaTV: NBATVOnline streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Follow: CBS Sports AppTicket Cost: $10.79
Odds
The Nuggets are a slight 2.5-point favorite against the Clippers, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Nuggets as a 2-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Denver have won 16 out of their last 28 games against Los Angeles.
Dec 26, 2021 – Denver 103 vs. Los Angeles 100May 01, 2021 – Denver 110 vs. Los Angeles 104Apr 01, 2021 – Denver 101 vs. Los Angeles 94Dec 25, 2020 – Los Angeles 121 vs. Denver 108Sep 15, 2020 – Denver 104 vs. Los Angeles 89Sep 13, 2020 – Denver 111 vs. Los Angeles 98Sep 11, 2020 – Denver 111 vs. Los Angeles 105Sep 09, 2020 – Los Angeles 96 vs. Denver 85Sep 07, 2020 – Los Angeles 113 vs. Denver 107Sep 05, 2020 – Denver 110 vs. Los Angeles 101Sep 03, 2020 – Los Angeles 120 vs. Denver 97Aug 12, 2020 – Los Angeles 124 vs. Denver 111Feb 28, 2020 – Los Angeles 132 vs. Denver 103Jan 12, 2020 – Denver 114 vs. Los Angeles 104Feb 24, 2019 – Denver 123 vs. Los Angeles 96Jan 10, 2019 – Denver 121 vs. Los Angeles 100Dec 22, 2018 – Los Angeles 132 vs. Denver 111Oct 17, 2018 – Denver 107 vs. Los Angeles 98Apr 07, 2018 – Denver 134 vs. Los Angeles 115Feb 27, 2018 – Los Angeles 122 vs. Denver 120Jan 17, 2018 – Los Angeles 109 vs. Denver 104Mar 16, 2017 – Denver 129 vs. Los Angeles 114Jan 21, 2017 – Denver 123 vs. Los Angeles 98Dec 26, 2016 – Denver 106 vs. Los Angeles 102Dec 20, 2016 – Los Angeles 119 vs. Denver 102Mar 27, 2016 – Los Angeles 105 vs. Denver 90Feb 24, 2016 – Denver 87 vs. Los Angeles 81Nov 24, 2015 – Los Angeles 111 vs. Denver 94
Injury Report for Los Angeles
Justise Winslow: Out (Covid-19)Luke Kennard: Out (Covid-19)Isaiah Hartenstein: Out (Ankle)Paul George: Out (Elbow)Jason Preston: Out (Foot)Kawhi Leonard: Out (Knee)
Injury Report for Denver
Rodney McGruder: Game-Time Decision (Not Injury Related)Will Barton: Out (Covid-19)Markus Howard: Out (Knee)Jamal Murray: Out (Knee)Vlatko Cancar: Out (Foot)Michael Porter Jr.: Out for the Season (Back)PJ Dozier: Out for the Season (Knee)
