38-Point Explosion: Mathurin Stuns Nuggets
Bennedict Mathurin drops 38 points in his Clippers home debut, lifting LA past Denver in a thrilling 115-114 NBA showdown.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — It was a memorable night for Benedict Mathurin, who delivered a stellar performance in his home debut for Los Angeles, scoring 38 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a thrilling 115-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.
Acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, Mathurin wasted no time making his presence felt. The young guard made 12 of 22 impressive shots from the field and showed composure at key moments, especially at the free-throw line late in the game. With just nine seconds remaining and the Clippers holding a slight lead, Mathurin calmly hit two crucial free throws to cut the lead to 115-112.
The game went down to the final seconds.
Denver's Jamal Murray had a chance to force overtime after being fouled by Derrick Jones Jr. with just 0.9 seconds remaining. Murray made his first two free throws, narrowing the lead to one, but missed his third attempt. A contest for rebounds followed as time expired, giving Los Angeles a resounding one-point victory.
Read Also
Kawhi Leonard provided solid support with 23 points, continuing his impressive consistency by scoring at least 20 points for the 34th consecutive game. Derrick Jones Jr. added 22 points, helping the Clippers improve to 21-7 since December 20th. Both teams were playing their first game after the All-Star break, and the excitement was palpable.
For Denver, Nikola Jokic once again delivered a stellar all-around performance with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Murray scored 20 points, while Bruce Brown contributed 19. Cam Johnson and Julian Strawther each added 18 points. However, the Nuggets missed Aaron Gordon, who missed his 10th consecutive game due to a hamstring injury, and Peyton Watson was also out for his fourth consecutive game.
Software Services
The match wasn't without drama. Midway through the fourth quarter, tensions escalated after a free throw attempt under the Denver basket when Clippers Yannick Konan Niederhauser, Kris Dunn, and Mathurin got into a scuffle with Jonas Valanciunas. The altercation resulted in technical fouls for Dunn, Mathurin, and Valanciunas. Denver converted a technical free throw to tie the game 83-83, further fueling the atmosphere inside the arena.
The Nuggets later tied the game 107-107 on a strong inside finish from Jokic, just 46 seconds before the end of the game, capping a thrilling match.
Ultimately, Mathurin's composure and impressive scoring made the difference. His explosive debut performance not only energized the home crowd, but also signaled that the Clippers had found a major attacking weapon for this final run.
Thank you for reading this content.
Thank you for reading this content.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
