The playoffs never disappoint – and the Nuggets vs Clippers match was proof of that. The noisy neighbours seemed destined to take their season momentum into the playoffs. But Denver’s momentum prevailed instead. It was heartbreak for the Clips, losing by 2 points in OT despite going into a half-time lead. Guess the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray partnership paid dividends, and were better on the day than James Harden-Kawhi Leonard. And when asked the reason behind the loss, Harden seemed to think Lob City’s altitude sickness played a part.
From LA’s 93 meter elevation, owning the Warriors on the San Fran’s 16 meter altitude didn’t seem to hamper the Clippers one bit. But they don’t call Denver the Mile High City for nothing. The Colorado capital stands at 1,609 meters. In the post game press, Harden was asked if this was the deciding factor. And his response was hilarious.
“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out too. Like literally, I’m trying to figure out what the hell it was the reason for. So we watch film, get better and do better things too,” said the legendary shooting guard jokingly. Harden still shined though, scoring a 32/6/11 double-double. While this might seem like a bit of a peculiar remark, it underlines a prevailing issue when it comes to the Ball Arena.
Dec 30, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Everyone, ranging from LeBron James to DeAndre and Paul George, has talked about the challenges of playing in Denver in great detail. Simply put, the elevation causes fatigue and shortness of breath. “It’s bad, like really bad. It’s just the first five minutes. Yeah, once you get those first five minutes out the way you’re good, but the first five minutes is terrible. You going back down the court, your lips is white, your mouth is chapped,” said Jalen Green.
But excuses don’t win you games. The Nuggets’ higher seeding gives them home-court advantage, which means Game 2 will also take place there. They have to adapt, and they have to adapt now. However, Clippers HC Ty Lue has other reasons to worry about after their performance last night.
Ty Lue cites hefty turnovers as kryptonite in Nuggets loss
Harden cited turnovers as the reason they lost the game, which was also true for Ty Lue. “That’s the game. That’s the game right there. Nothing else. Turnovers—that was just unforced. That’s the simplest game right there. It’s nothing they did, it’s us. All of us.” And if anyone can capitalise on weary possession, it’s Nikola Jokic. That proved vital. And Ty Lue acknowledged that in his postgame presser.
“They don’t have shot blocking… And we did it in the first half, and I thought second half got away from that. So things we talked about before the game, offensive rebounds, we did a good job except for the last four minutes of the game. And then 20 turnovers is way too many to try to be the good take, especially on the road,” said the veteran gaffer.
Mar 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue at press conference at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
6 of those came in the first half when the Clippers were leading 53-49. Despite the altitude sickness, they showed signs of adapting well. But the second half caused a mental switch, when the likes of Jokic and Murray turned up for a flurry of points for the Mile High Club. This revelation highlighted internal ball security issues and the significance of improving performance during important stretch plays.
It’ll be interesting to see how the second game develops, from here. The Clippers’ last three visits to the Ball Arena have highlighted the struggles of playing there. But that’s no reason to cause 20 turnovers to the Nuggets‘ 11. Do you think James Harden and Kawhi Leonard can inspire their band of misfits into a game 2 victory?
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