Russell Westbrook hit a late corner three and made decisive defensive plays as Denver beat the Clippers 112-110 in overtime.
The Game 1 victory ended Los Angeles’ eight-game winning streak and gave the Nuggets an early lead in their first-round series.
Westbrook changes the game late
Westbrook shot 5 of 17, but 10 of his 15 points came during the fourth quarter and overtime.
He scored twice around James Harden’s free throws before hitting a corner three with 24.1 seconds left to put Denver ahead 98-96.
Harden answered with a driving floater to force overtime, where Denver never fell behind.
Clippers turnovers fuel Denver comeback
Los Angeles committed 20 turnovers against Denver’s 11, undermining a strong night from Harden.
Harden finished with 32 points and 11 assists. Ivica Zubac added 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard scored 22 but committed seven turnovers.
Denver recovered from 15 points down behind Nikola Jokic’s 29 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Aaron Gordon scored 25 and Jamal Murray added 21.
Westbrook finishes the winning plays
With Denver ahead in overtime, Westbrook disrupted a Clippers inbound pass that eventually went out off Los Angeles.
Jokic then made two free throws to create a five-point lead with 6.5 seconds remaining.
Westbrook dismissed the importance of his missed shots and focused on the actions that helped Denver win. His uneven but fearless performance gave the Nuggets the first advantage in a series between two closely matched teams.
