How Nuggets beat Clippers: Russell Westbrook, Christian Braun make key plays in Denver's OT Game 1 win

Dan Treacy

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How Nuggets beat Clippers: Russell Westbrook, Christian Braun make key plays in Denver's OT Game 1 win image

The Clippers entered the playoffs as one of the NBA's hottest teams, and they looked like it for a half on Saturday.

L.A. spent much of the first half of Game 1 against the Nuggets in control on the road, and Tyronn Lue's squad nearly survived a second-half push from Denver. 

In the end, though, the Nuggets and their raucous crowd prevailed. A chaotic finish to regulation gave way to a calmer overtime, which saw Denver get contributions from across the board and survive for a series-opening victory.

Here's a look at how the Nuggets pulled ahead and won Game 1 on Saturday.

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How Nuggets beat Clippers in Game 1

The Nuggets just kept coming as the fourth quarter went on, putting pressure on the Clippers until L.A. finally broke.

One late mistake aside, Russell Westbrook was the key for Denver. The former MVP put the Nuggets in front three times in the final four minutes, including a massive 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining to give the team a 98-96 lead. 

The Westbrook experience couldn't just end there — after a Jokic goaltend allowed James Harden the game on the other end, the fourth quarter ended when Westbrook failed to get a shot off and lost the ball in the closing seconds. 

The Nuggets' defense, which was a major concern in the regular season, locked in down the stretch, allowing just six Clippers points over the final 4:41 of regulation. Denver needed five more minutes to win, but the game wouldn't get to overtime without some critical stops.

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It might have looked like the Nuggets were just Nikola Jokic and a ragtag bunch for much of the season, but Denver didn't rely too heavily on Jokic in overtime. Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun all made field goals, with Braun delivering the difference-maker when he hit a 3-pointer to extend the Nuggets' lead to two possessions with a minute left. 

While a turnover gave the Clippers a chance in the final minute, Westbrook shifted momentum back to Denver's way by forcing a turnover.

The Nuggets will hope the victory is a turning point after the firing of Michael Malone and the spark for a deep playoff run under interim coach David Adelman, but comeback wins are nothing new for Denver on the biggest stage; Saturday marked the Nuggets' eighth playoff comeback of 15 or more points since 2019. 

MORE: Revisiting why Nuggets fired Michael Malone

Nuggets vs. Clippers schedule

Denver leads 1-0

DateGameTime (ET)
April 19Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT)—
April 21Game 2 at Denver10 p.m.
April 24Game 3 at Los Angeles10 p.m.
April 26Game 4 at Los Angeles6 p.m.
April 29Game 5* at DenverTBA
May 1Game 6* at Los AngelesTBA
May 3Game 7* at DenverTBA

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.