Kawhi Leonard delivered a near-flawless performance, scoring 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 105-102 road win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 on Monday night.
With the victory, the Clippers tied the first-round series at 1-1.
Leonard had 21 points by halftime, including a buzzer-beating pull-up three that broke a 52-52 tie, and continued to control the game on both ends.
The Nuggets had a chance to win in the final seconds, but Christian Braun’s long-range shot missed with six seconds remaining and Nikola Jokic’s attempt from beyond the arc also came up short as time expired.
Jokic recorded his 19th career postseason triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, but also committed seven turnovers and missed four of his 10 free throws.
Denver’s 20 turnovers, eight missed free throws and a scoreless fastbreak output after the first quarter proved costly.
Jamal Murray chipped in 23 points and Michael Porter Jr. posted a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds after a quiet Game 1.
Despite leading 31-25 after the first quarter and dominating early in transition, the Nuggets were outscored in each of the final three periods.
James Harden contributed 18 points and seven assists for Los Angeles, while Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Norman Powell had 13 points for the visitors and hit two threes, while Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum combined for key defensive plays and timely shot-making off the bench.
A tense third quarter saw technical fouls handed to Dunn, Powell, and Braun following a brief scuffle after a hard push, but the Clippers remained composed down the stretch.
Leonard’s late-game defense included a critical steal off Jokic with 37 seconds to play, although Harden’s missed three afterward left the door open for Denver’s final possession.
Tyronn Lue’s team has now won 19 of its last 22 games and reclaimed homecourt advantage ahead of Game 3 in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
David Adelman, who had won his first four games since stepping in for Michael Malone just before the postseason, took his first loss as interim head coach.
Los Angeles shot 48.2% from the field and hit 13-of-34 from three, while Denver went 14-of-32 from deep but converted only 63.6% of its free throws.
The Clippers also held a 24-23 edge in assists and limited the Nuggets to just 11 fastbreak points overall.
Game 3 at Intuit Dome will determine which team can take control in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive first-round matchups.
