Clippers lose to Nuggets in the most embarrassing way possible
By Will Eudy
The LA Clippers had a big opportunity in front of them on Monday night. Owning a 7-8 overall record and going up against a Denver Nuggets squad missing Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, LA had a chance to get back to .500 and secure their fifth win in their last six games.
If that were not enough motivation, they were also facing a couple of former Clippers in Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan as well. But instead of rising to the occasion and taking care of business against an undermanned squad, the Clippers allowed Denver to put on a clinic when it mattered most.
Outscoring the Clippers 36 to 16 in the fourth quarter, it was ironically the play of DeAndre Jordan and Reggie Jackson that put the Nuggets over the top. Jackson lead his team with 35 points and 13 assists, while Jordan dominated in the paint with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan embarrassed the Clippers
The crowd at Crypto.com Arena watched helplessly while their team was eviscerated by players they used to cheer on. But simply reading the numbers off the stat sheet does not fully encapsulate the degree to which the Clippers were embarrassed.
Clearly, Reggie and DeAndre had fire in their eyes going against their former team. Jackson's 35 points were the most he had scored since being traded from the Clippers, while Jordan's 21 points were his most since the 2018-19 season.
For those who have kept up with the Nuggets this season, you may have been surprised to hear DeAndre Jordan played at all. And who could blame you? Jordan had played a grand total of 24 minutes this entire season coming into Monday night.
To top it all off, Denver did this all while playing on the second night of a back-to-back. These figures add up to what has to be one of the most disgraceful losses Clippers fans could think of.
Next. 5 Clippers who won't last the entire season in Los Angeles. 5 Clippers who won't last the entire season in Los Angeles. dark
In the big picture, LA may still be trending up. But it will take a long time for the painful memories of this game to be erased from the minds of fans.