{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
L.A. Clippers 110, Denver 103
When: 10:30 PM ET, Monday, April 13, 2015
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #47 Bennie Adams, #79 Kevin Scott, #46 Ben Taylor
Attendance: 19060

LOS ANGELES -- Clinching home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers posted a 110-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center on Monday.

The Clippers (55-26) earned their sixth consecutive win, and they recorded their 13th victory in 14 games and their 20th in 27 since the All-Star break.

Los Angeles can finish as high as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoff field or as low as No. 5. However, the fifth seed will have home-court advantage against the fourth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the postseason by virtue of a better regular-season record.

The San Antonio Spurs (55-26) and Houston Rockets (55-26) are tied with Clippers for the second-best record in the conference. The Memphis Grizzlies (54-27) dropped a game back after a loss Monday.

All four teams have one game left: The Clippers play at Phoenix on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Spurs play at New Orleans, the Rockets face the visiting Utah Jazz, and the Grizzlies play host to the Indiana Pacers.

The Southwest Division champion (San Antonio, Houston or Memphis) and one other team will join the No. 1 Golden State Warriors and No. 4 Portland Trail Blazers as the top four seeds.

Power forward Blake Griffin led the Clippers 22 points, and he added nine rebounds and eight assists. Shooting guard J.J. Redick had 20 points, as did center DeAndre Jordan, who also contributed a game-high 21 rebounds. Point guard Chris Paul chipped in 17 points, seven rebounds and a game-high nine assists.

Denver small forward Wilson Chandler led all scorers with 32 points. Power forward Kenneth Faried added 19 points and a team-high 17 rebounds, along with some agitation and physical play that included an elbow thrown at Griffin.

Los Angeles turned in yet another strong finish in a game that was up for grabs, a signature element of the win streak. The Clippers trailed 96-90 with 5:43 remaining, then outscored the Nuggets 14-1 to tilt the game in their favor.

The surge began with a three-point play by Griffin and featured scoring from four of the five players who closed the game for Los Angeles.

The Clippers finished the third quarter on a 9-2 run to lead 83-78.

Denver led 57-54 at the half, thanks largely to superior ball-handling. The Nuggets committed just three first-half turnovers, while the Clippers had 10. That differential negated Los Angeles' decisive advantages in field-goal percentage and free throws attempted.

The turnover gap was largely erased after halftime, as the Nuggets finished with 14 giveaways to the Clippers' 15.

NOTES: The Nuggets were without PG Jameer Nelson (hip) and PF Darrell Arthur (calf). The two players have not competed since April 4 and March 22, respectively. ... The Clippers won the season series with the Nuggets, three games to one. ... Los Angeles PG Chris Paul played in his 81st game Monday. If he plays Tuesday against Phoenix, it would the first 82-game campaign of his career. His previous high as a Clipper was 70 games.
Top Game Performances
 
Denver   L.A. Clippers
Wilson Chandler 32 Scoring Blake Griffin 22
Randy Foye 8 Assists Chris Paul 9
Kenneth Faried 17 Rebounds DeAndre Jordan 21
Will Barton 5 Free Throws Made Blake Griffin 8
Kenneth Faried 2 Steals Chris Paul 2
N/A Blocks DeAndre Jordan 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Denver 103 37.6 12-33 15-22 18 58 0 7 14
L.A. Clippers 110 45.1 7-21 29-37 25 47 8 7 15
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game on the road against Phoenix. The Clippers have a W/L % of .667 after a win and .704 after a loss.
  • Denver will play their next game on the road against Golden State. The Nuggets have a W/L % of .467 after a win and .314 after a loss.