Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell is off to a great start this season, and it could be even better if he played against the Denver Nuggets more often.
Powell is averaging 23.5 points a game overall this season, including 27 in three games against Denver. He’ll get a chance to increase that average when the Clippers visit the Nuggets on Wednesday night.
Powell scored 37 points in the first meeting on Oct. 26, when he made a season-high seven 3-pointers. He added 28 points against Denver on Dec. 1. But he scored just 16 on Dec. 13, and it was the only time this season Los Angeles has lost to the Nuggets.
The Clippers, however, have another weapon for the final game between the teams this season in Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard made his season debut against Atlanta on Saturday night and scored 12 points. He had eight in Monday’s loss at Minnesota but said he isn’t worried about his numbers after just two games.
“We’re still easing me into the game. We’re on nobody’s timetable,” Leonard said after the win over the Hawks. “Anybody watching that wants to see me score 20, 30 points, or be aggressive, we are not on no one’s time frame. We know what’s ahead of us, and we have to keep building in the right direction.”
Los Angeles has been treading water without Leonard, led by Powell’s career-high scoring total. James Harden is second in scoring at 21.6 points a game and leads the team in average assists (8.0).
The Clippers should be more rested than Denver, which lost 118-106 to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. The Nuggets were without Aaron Gordon for the seventh straight game due to a right calf strain, and it is doubtful he’ll suit up Wednesday night.
More of a concern for Denver is the availability of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who missed Tuesday’s game with a non-COVID illness. Jokic left the arena before tip-off against the Celtics.
“He wasn’t feeling great (Monday), and that has only gotten worse (Tuesday), which is unfortunate,” coach Michael Malone said. “He’s trying to fight through it.”
The Nuggets are 1-3 in games without their best player. Jokic is second in the NBA in scoring (31.5 points a game) and assists (9.7) and third in rebounding (13.0). He is also leading the league in 3-point shooting at 47.3 percent and has a league-leading 14 triple-doubles this season and 144 for his career.
Gordon has missed 17 total games because of his right calf. Russell Westbrook, who has moved into the starting lineup, scored 26 points in the loss to Boston and has a triple-double and double-double since becoming a starter.
Denver has lost two of its last three games, with both losses coming at home. The Nuggets are just 10-7 on their home court this season after going 33-8 and 34-7 at home the previous two campaigns.
