Harden scores 37 and Clippers overcome Jokic’s triple-double to beat Nuggets 126-122
Harden scores 37 and Clippers overcome Jokic’s triple-double to beat Nuggets 126-122
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, ties up Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac as Zubac tries to shoot during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden looks toward the scoreboard after making a three-point shot that put him at 2,998 points for three-point shots during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, center, soots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann, left, and guard Amir Coffey defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, ties up Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac as Zubac tries to shoot during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, ties up Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac as Zubac tries to shoot during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden looks toward the scoreboard after making a three-point shot that put him at 2,998 points for three-point shots during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden looks toward the scoreboard after making a three-point shot that put him at 2,998 points for three-point shots during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, center, soots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann, left, and guard Amir Coffey defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, center, soots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann, left, and guard Amir Coffey defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden scored 39 points — making all 13 of his free throws — and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame Nikola Jokic’s triple-double to beat the Denver Nuggets 126-122 on Sunday night.
Jokic finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his eighth triple-double of the season.
Harden narrowly missed a triple-double of his own, finishing with nine rebounds and 11 assists.
Norman Powell added 28 points for the Clippers in his return after missing six games because of an injury.
Harden made three 3-pointers in the first half, giving him 3,000 in his career.
The Clippers made three consecutive 3-pointers early in the fourth to lead by seven. Jokic hit a 3-pointer and fed Aaron Gordon for a dunk to draw the Nuggets within one.
After the Clippers went up by seven, Harden turned the ball over under pressure by Gordon in his return from injury. The Nuggets missed their first shot, got the offensive rebound and Christian Braun scored, leaving them trailing 123-121 with 19 seconds remaining.
The Nuggets opened the third with a 21-11 run to put the Clippers down 10. But Los Angeles rallied behind six 3-pointers — three each by Harden and Powell — to lead 92-90 going into the fourth.
Takeaways
Nuggets: They’ve now lost twice to the Clippers.
Clippers: They twice owned leads of 11 points in the first two quarters only to watch Denver tie it at halftime. But they stayed steady down the stretch, making 8 of 9 free throws.
Key moment
Jokic was 2 of 4 from the free-throw line, missing a crucial one with 9 seconds to go and the Nuggets down by three.
Key stat
The Clippers made 17 3-pointers while the Nuggets only attempted 21 from long range.
Up next
Nuggets host Golden State and Los Angeles hosts Portland in NBA Cup games on Tuesday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba