There was no way they could have predicted such a moment, to see what seemed impossible became real, and so what happened after Tuesday's final buzzer was completely rectified by a team. who had survived his share of withdrawal, but never seemed to be under circumstances this dire.
The Clippers watched as teammates hugged, exchanging quizzical glances for friends and family to double-check for the scoreboard that the final score of 87–85 was genuine.
When Rich Coffey ran into the tunnel toward his locker room, he stopped to hug point guard Reggie Jackson, who by that time had given fans his bike, his glasses, and his headband. Jackson walked into the locker room in his socks, the franchise's fourth-highest comeback behind him, the second half of the season ahead.
After amassing only 28 points in the first half against Denver and trailing 25 in the third quarter while going down 20, the Clippers went on to win big and create a victory that added to the hallmarks of the first half of their season - ever. -Sometimes brutal offense, steady defense and a grit that holds up when lineups and conditions change constantly.
Denver's Nikola Jokic missed a final-second running three-pointer to close off one of the most impossible second stops of the season, considering what had happened during the first.
The clippers seemed listless. Then they became uncontrollable.
He could not make a basket, making one of his first 14 three-pointers. He then made nine of his last 20.
It looked as though they had passed the midpoint of their program by delivering the low water mark of their season. Instead he hopes it will become a springboard for his second half.
"We really needed it," said coach Tyrone Lew.
Denver coach Michael Malone said: "Losses like these keep me awake for weeks."
Jackson, after missing nine of his first 10 shots, scored four consecutive shots in the fourth quarter and finished with 13 points, including a dunk on 7-foot Most Valuable Player Jokic, which Clippers forward Nicolas Buttam had. Said ignited the team. ,
"The game was ugly for me early on," Jackson said. "... Moments like these help you maintain confidence."
After Lew played a game called his best offense in recent memory, a Clippers squad whose offense is ranked 27th this season - and nearly 10 fewer points per game than last season - scored a 28-point. The half produced the most anemic stretch yet, the lowest in the first half by any team since the Clippers scored 27 runs during their loss to Dallas in December 2020.
The Clippers continued the declining trend in the first 41 games, scoring 12 of 43 shots in 24 minutes, while outrebounding from 16.
It was only June that the Clippers returned 25 points to beat Utah to advance to their first conference final - but that game featured a healthy Paul George and Luke Kennard, both of whom were sidelined.
Jackson had been a surprising source of so much postseason guilt. But this season his efficiency has dwindled and flowed. In his last six games since returning from the NBA's health and safety protocols, Jackson had made 37% of his three-pointers, yet had more turnovers (2.8 per game) than assists (2.3). And it was only Sunday that Lew did not play him in the final 14 minutes of the win against Atlanta after several errors.
"You just need one shot to get going," Batum said of Jackson. "One shot and then, boom."
The Clippers' slow start made it a difficult challenge to keep pace with Jokic from the start. Even as Jokic rested for seven minutes during the first half, the Clippers could not cut Denver's four-point lead. An early shot in the shot clock crippled half of him.
"We're not a good team like that," Butam said. "We have to be honest, we can't play like that."
Little by little the spark was lit. A lineup of Battam, Marcus Morris, Terrence Mann, Coffey and Eric Bledsoe swept Denver to 14 in just six third-quarter minutes. Those quick shots were replaced by ball movement and spacing, with only 15 assists against five turnovers in the second half.
"Our defense saved us tonight," Batum said. "We start making shots and swinging the ball and having more fun, and start winning. ... We could have easily given up. Now we keep fighting."
Coffey followed up his 21-point game against Atlanta with 18, seven assists and five rebounds and played throughout the second half, essentially completing his change out of rotation in December a month later. Bledsoe scored only 11 points but the Clippers (21-21) overtook Denver by 28 points in their 26th minute.
"It's ridiculous," said Jackson, peeping at a BoxScore. "It's untrue."
With two minutes to play, Coffey's three-pointer propelled the Clippers 83-81, and after a stop, Jackson dribbled upcourt as fans began to stand around the court. When he reached the top of the three-point arc, he passed a pass to Batam, whose three-pointer took a lead of five with 1:47 to play, forcing a Denver timeout.
Jokic, who scored 21 points with 13 rebounds, assisted Aaron Gordon, whose 30 points led all scorers, to keep the Nuggets within a shot for the baskets in the final minutes, but the Clippers' offense - the same. The one who spit quickly - consistently generated answers, scoring 32 points in the last 12 minutes.
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