Clippers Crush Nuggets 117-83 in Game 3 Blowout to Seize Series Lead

Clippers Turn Up the Heat at Home

This wasn’t one of those nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat playoff games. The Clippers wanted to send a message. They throttled the Nuggets 117-83 in front of a roaring L.A. crowd, reminding everyone why home court matters in the postseason. The win not only put them up 2-1 in the series but also gave fans their first taste of playoff glory at the sparkling new Intuit Dome.

Right from tip-off, you could sense something different about the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard came out firing, looking every bit the dominant two-way force we’ve come to expect. His midrange shots were falling, and he bulldozed his way to the basket with almost clinical efficiency. James Harden, meanwhile, set the tone with his playmaking—threading tight passes and keeping the ball moving until the defense cracked. It wasn’t just the stars, though. LA’s role players—guys like Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac—made Denver pay whenever the focus drifted off them. The Clippers racked up points in the paint, knocked down open threes, and never let up the pressure.

Nuggets Melt Under Pressure

This one had to sting for Denver fans. Nikola Jokic, usually a walking triple-double, just never got into his groove. The Clippers sent double teams, threw fresh defenders at him, and kept him uncomfortable every time he touched the ball. He finished well below his usual production, and the Nuggets' offense sputtered and stalled. Jamal Murray struggled to get separation, and even Michael Porter Jr. couldn’t find his usual rhythm from deep.

Things went south for Denver fast. By halftime, the Clippers had built a double-digit lead, and any hopes of a comeback fizzled. The Nuggets simply couldn’t break through LA’s wall of defense, and the turnovers stacked up. The visitors looked out of answers when the Clippers' bench checked in and kept the energy high. Head coach Michael Malone tried to shake things up, calling timeouts early, but nothing stuck. When L.A. started outscoring them in transition as well, it was clear Denver was in for a long night.

The Clippers' new arena definitely played a role. You could hear the crowd getting louder as each highlight play unfolded. For a team that had just scraped past the Nuggets in the first two games, this rout felt like a statement—both for themselves and the rest of the Western Conference playoff pack.

Game 4 is already looming large. The playoffs are all about momentum swings, and right now, the Clippers have all of it. With Leonard keeping poise under pressure and Harden orchestrating, LA is suddenly just two wins away from the next round, while the Nuggets have to regroup fast. Can Jokic rediscover his magic? Will the Denver shooters step up on the road? The answers are coming soon, right back at the Intuit Dome.