Even Jokic’s triple-double couldn’t stop the Clippers from dropping a 117-83 Thanos snap on Denver in Game 3.
Welp. That escalated quickly. Game 3 of Clippers vs. Nuggets looked less like a playoff battle and more like Denver accidentally walked into a Clippers team-building seminar on how to demolish former champs in front of a screaming new arena.
Let’s be clear — Nikola Jokic showed up. Man dropped a 23-13-13 triple-double like he was trying to carry an entire mountain range on his back. But you can only do so much when your teammates are bricking shots like they’re auditioning for a construction job.
Meanwhile, the Clippers were in “it’s our house” mode at the new Intuit Dome, and boy, did they collect rent. Kawhi Leonard looked like the silent Terminator again with 21 points and 11 boards, and James Harden turned the first half into a personal highlight reel with 20 points and 9 dimes. We’re talking full beard wizard mode.
Norman Powell came off the bench like someone told him Denver was talking smack about his playlist. He dropped 20 with zero hesitation. Zubac? Zubac became Zublock — 19 points, no nonsense, all vibes.
The Nuggets were already down bad at halftime, trailing by 18, but in the fourth quarter? It got ugly. Denver scored 13 points. Total. That’s not a quarter, that’s a coffee break. The Clippers ended the game on a 14-1 run that felt like a slow dance to humiliation.
And Jokic? Poor guy could only sigh and sip Gatorade while watching his team implode like a bad season of reality TV. Triple-doubles don’t hit the same when the final score looks like a high school varsity vs. JV blowout.
Now LA leads the series 2-1 and the Intuit Dome has officially been christened with playoff carnage. Game 4 is on deck, and if Denver doesn’t show up with more than just Jokic and vibes, this series might turn into a documentary titled “How to Get Clipped.”
Basketball gods, we are watching. And yes — we want more.
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