Game #17: Clippers(10-6) @ Nuggets(14-5)

[areg789]

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets

Where: Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado
When: Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 5:00 P.M. (PST)
Tv: Prime Ticket









L.A. Clippers-Starters


PG: Chris Paul #3------SG: Chauncey Billups-#1

SF: Caron Butler-#5----PF: Blake Griffin-#32

C: Deandre Jordan-#6

Denver Nuggets-Starters


PG: Ty Lawson-#3------SG: Arron Afflalo-#6

SF: Danilo Gallinari-#8 PF/C: Nene-#31

C: Timofey Mozgov-#25

L.A. Clippers-Bench


Williams---Foye---Gomes----Evans----Jones

Denver Nuggets-Bench


A. Miller--Brewer---Rudy--Harrington-Andersen

Injury Report

None.

Ty Lawson (Left ankle sprain)

Team Leaders

L.A. Clippers
Blake Griffin: 21.25 Points and 11.19 Rebounds
Chris Paul: 8.64 Assists and 2.55 Steals
Deandre Jordan: 2.94 Blocks

Denver Nuggets
Danilo Gallinari: 17.72 Points and 1.61 Steals
Andre Miller: 6.89 Assists
Nene: 8.71 Rebounds

Key Matchup


Going up against....



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBJffd1lQRk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heExzk2M5Yc[/youtube]


Lucky Charm

Adriana Lima


This Nuggets roster is very deep and highly talented. They just extended Gallinari, who's been doing good scoring the ball and hopefully Caron can limit that on Sunday. The Clips will also have to stop them from scoring in the paint, which they are excelling at. Ty Lawson could also be making a return for them. Clippers are 1-4 so far on the road and this should be a tough game, so let's go out there and get this win!

[Det the Threat]

Great game thread.

Should be a tough one at the mile high city.

They're playing very well and are only one of two western conference teams(the other one being OKC) with a winning record on the road.
I hope we can get this one and make a step in that direction as well, becoming a solid road team.

Keys to the game for me are:
Not running with them.
Trying to contain Ty Lawson.
Winning the rebounding battle.
And trying to limit our turnovers.

[LOJ]

Nice gamethread areg!

I wonder if Lawson will play against us, he didn't play last night against Toronto.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

We need some road wins why not start tomorrow night. We are still winning games when I think we can play better. I feel that we can limit our turnovers and knock down more free throws. It helps that we don't have anyone injured right now. We've had a little time off so we should be ready to go against the Nuggets. We will need a strong defensive performance against them.

[LOJ]

This Denver team is on a 6 game winning streak, this is a must win game.

[scratch21]

this is where we find out what our team is made of.. these road games

[RiversideClips]

Wow, I thought the Clips had a good bench, Denver's bench is solid and so is Karl as their coach. I think, like most posters are saying is that this is a test to see where we are at, If we are a good team, we should win one of the next two; if we are really good, we should clamp down & win both.
I think we steal one in Denver & Caron has a "GAME" guarding KD and the Clips win by 8. Yeah, I know KD has 4=5 inches on Caron, Caron loves going head to head against the elite in this league; Caron will "RISE!"

[adiedanny]

wow that is a solid deep bench. bad thing is fernandez usually kills us.

[areg789]

Clippers-Nuggets Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Jan 28 2012 7:55PM
The Denver Nuggets have been very successful thanks to a young nucleus of talent, led by Danilo Gallinari. However, as much as the trade for Gallinari has paid off, they still express appreciation for Chauncey Billups.
Billups returns to Denver on Sunday as the Los Angeles Clippers look to snap the Nuggets' six-game winning streak.
When Denver traded Billups and Carmelo Anthony to New York last season, it signified a youth movement for the Nuggets (14-5). Yet they've shown a flashy star isn't necessary for success.
Denver has averaged 109.7 points during a six-game winning streak. Gallinari, the big acquisition for the Nuggets in last February's trade, has averaged 25.5 points in the last four wins.
Gallinari, who signed a four-year, $42 million contract extension Wednesday, scored 21 points in a 96-81 win over Toronto on Friday.
Rudy Fernandez led Denver with a season-high 23 points. He missed the previous two games with a sore right Achilles and had played less than 22 minutes combined in two appearances over Denver's last six contests.
"I'm feeling good with my shots and I'm happy my Achilles is feeling better, which is more important," said Fernandez, who made 5 of 7 3-pointers.
The Nuggets will try to extend their winning streak against another former teammate after beating Anthony and the Knicks last Saturday.
Ty Lawson, the team's current point guard, is looking forward to facing Billups, who spent three full seasons and parts of two others in Denver, then signed a free-agent deal with Los Angeles. Lawson missed Friday's game due to a sprained left ankle but is expected to play Sunday.
"Chauncey was huge because I was a young point guard coming into the game," Lawson told the Nuggets' official website. "He's been everywhere I want to be. He's been an All-Star, he won a championship. I learned everything from him. He was very important to my development. It's going to fun playing against him."
Billups is averaging 14.9 points this season, but 7.7 in the last three games while shooting 6 of 27 (22.2 percent).
Los Angeles (10-6) has dropped four in a row on the road and alternated wins and losses the last seven games overall.
Chris Paul will try to end that pattern. He had 18 points and seven assists in a 98-91 win over Memphis on Thursday. Blake Griffin had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
After failing to protect their lead against the Los Angeles Lakers the night before, the Clippers nearly blew a nine-point advantage with less than 5 minutes to go against Memphis. The Grizzlies made it 91-89 with 1:19 left, but the Clippers held on.
Los Angeles also failed to protect a double-digit lead in a Jan. 20 loss to Minnesota.
"Sooner or later we're going to learn, because these little opportunities can slip away from you," Paul, playing his second game after missing five with a sore hamstring, said. "We've got to build up as many wins as possible, and it feels good for me to be out there. I've got to keep the energy going. Every game means so much."
The Clippers have given up 106.0 points per game on 51.0-percent shooting during their road losing streak. They've also dropped nine straight in Denver while giving up 109.6 per contest.
Paul, though, has enjoyed playing in Denver, averaging 25.6 points and 9.8 assists in his last five visits.

[TimeToGetPaid]

Moar Lucky Charms:

[TheNewEra]

Must destroy Andre Miller at all cost lol

[LOJ]

Moar Lucky Charms:

I feel like a pedo

[Neddy]

hey lion of judah, what does your cuneiform say?

[scratch21]

Im so hyped for this game!!

I need to see a W for ClipperNation

[areg789]

Looks like Lawson won't be playing in this one.

[mkwest]

Blake picks up his 2nd foul with 4 to go in the 1st.

[areg789]

Deandre's gotta stop going for those when it's too late.

[Neddy]

:( Blake picks up his 2nd foul with 4 to go in the 1st.

i think he's only got 1.

[areg789]

I could've sworn that was off Brewer's fingers.

[Neddy]

observation #1. we are hopelessly a jumpshooting team with little or no consistent low post presence.

observation #2. billups wants to impress the home crowd.

observation #3. i still don't understand vinny's rotation... does anyone?