Nuggets Snap 3-Game Skid With 87-81 Victory Over Clippers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kenneth Faried had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 87-81 on Wednesday night for their first victory since the All-Star break.

Gary Harris added 17 points and Danilo Gallinari 16 for the Nuggets, who snapped a three-game skid while improving to 7-13 on the road against Western Conference opponents. Nikola Jokic matched Faried with 11 rebounds.

The Clippers were led by J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford with 20 points apiece, and Chris Paul had 17 points and 10 assists. They had won five of seven, but were outclassed in nearly every category by the struggling Nuggets.

Denver outscored them 44-22 in the paint and 19-9 in fast-break points.

Crawford scored the Clippers' first eight points of the fourth, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers from the same spot on the right side to cut their deficit to seven. Paul and Redick made consecutive 3s that left Los Angeles trailing 80-78.

Jeff Green's driving hook shot again drew the Clippers within two before Harris' 3-pointer beat the shot clock, extending the Nuggets' lead to 85-80.

The Clippers' rally stalled over the final three minutes, with Redick missing a 3 and losing the ball. Green got called for an offensive foul in the lane, negating his basket that would have got the Clippers within two with 30 seconds left.

Five different Clippers scored, including 3-pointers by Redick and Wesley Johnson, in a 12-3 run that drew them to 62-58 in the third. The Nuggets again closed strongly, getting seven straight points from Gallinari to lead 71-62 going in the fourth.

Faried scored nine points in a 14-0 spurt to end the second quarter, giving the Nuggets a 53-39 lead at the break.

The Clippers took 10 of their first 12 shots from 3-point range in building an early lead. The Nuggets answered with a 21-5 run to end the first quarter leading 23-19, having outscored Los Angeles 16-0 in the paint.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: They outscored the Clippers 30-8 in the paint, 13-2 on second-chance points and 15-7 in fast-break points in the first half. ... Faried had averaged 19 points over his three previous games. ... Denver gave up a season low in points.

Clippers: They had a season-high 46 3-point attempts, making 13. ... Johnson took seven 3-pointers, tied for third-most on the team, and made just one. ... Crawford got mowed down by JaKarr Sampson in a loose ball scramble late in the third, but got up and kept playing. ... They fell to 26-7 without injured Blake Griffin.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: At Dallas on Friday. They have lost three straight to the Mavericks, including a 92-81 defeat on Nov. 28.

Clippers: At Sacramento on Friday. They lead the season series 2-1, having lost 110-103 on Jan. 16.

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