The Denver Nuggets (50-32) will face the Los Angeles Clippers (50-32) in the Western Conference first round, with the Nuggets hosting the first series matchup on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The Nuggets and Clippers split their regular-season series 0-0. Denver leads the league in fast break points per game with 20.1, while the Clippers score 112.9 points per game.
Top performers for the Nuggets include Michael Porter Jr. averaging 18.2 points and 7.0 rebounds, and Nikola Jokic with averages of 26.5 points and 9.6 rebounds in the last 10 games. For the Clippers, James Harden scores 22.8 points with 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists, and Kawhi Leonard averages 21.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 52.9% in the past 10 games.
Injuries impacting the matchup include DaRon Holmes II being out for the season for the Nuggets due to an Achilles injury, while Patty Mills is day-to-day with an illness and Nicolas Batum is also day-to-day with an ankle issue for the Clippers.