Los Angeles – Call Phase One of the Vin Baker Strategy a success.
The Los Angeles Clippers started the little-used veteran last week in Memphis. That losing effort decided the middle of the NBA’s Western Conference seeding. L.A. was punished with home-court advantage for the first time in franchise postseason history instead of a date at Dallas.
That plan paid immediate dividends Saturday night as the Clippers rewarded their fans, starved for a taste of playoffs since 1997, with an 89-87 win over the Nuggets in Game 1 of the teams’ first-round series at the Staples Center. The series resumes Monday.
After L.A. pushed the Nuggets around in the first half and staked out a 16-point lead in the third quarter, Denver reasserted itself by holding the Clippers to a 6:31 scoring drought during the final two periods. They also did not score from the field in the final 4:10.
“I really am proud of them. Down 16, wobbling, they never quit,” Nuggets coach George Karl said.
Denver did what would have looked impossible early in the game, tying the game at 87 on a pair of Andre Miller layups, the latter with 1:08 to go. But from there, Carmelo Anthony struggled.
The Clippers regained the lead on two Vladimir Radmanovic free throws. Anthony, who went 0-for-8 in the fourth quarter, had his shot blocked by Elton Brand, but Marcus Camby drew a charge on Radmanovic on the ensuing possession with 24 seconds to play.
Denver worked the clock down to 4.5 seconds, and Anthony missed the rim on an 18-foot jumper. However, the Nuggets maintained possession when the ball went out of bounds off Clippers center Chris Kaman’s hands. Anthony took the inbounds pass, but was double-teamed and his final effort from the left corner went off the rim as time expired.
“I was telling myself there was no way they were going to let me face up against just one defender,” Anthony said of the last shot.
Said Mobley: “He’s (Carmelo Anthony) the focal point of their offense, so we really wanted to try to contain him. It was a team effort. It’s only fair, if they are going to come double me, we’re going to go double him.”
Making their playoff debuts, L.A.’s big men showed no stage fright. Brand led his team with a confident 21 points, while Kaman added 15 points and 13 rebounds. Veterans Sam Cassell had 19 points and Mobley 17.
Anthony and Miller each scored 25 points, but none of their teammates reached double figures as the team shot 38.5 percent from the field, including a wide array of shots that hit the side of the backboard or nothing at all. They also hit just 1-of-6 3-pointers and 16-of-22 free throws.
Reaching in vain for a loose ball, Cassell instead caught a handful of Karl, softly clotheslining him before grabbing him in a full hug. Cassell whispered something into his old Milwaukee Bucks coach’s ear that brought a smile to both. That was a fitting metaphor for how Cassell’s team handled Denver in the first half.
It took the Clippers 24 minutes to do what it took them 48, on average, during the regular season – outrebound the Nuggets by 10. And just as in the regular season, when L.A. took three of four games from Denver, size made the difference.
Brand was flying in his first playoff game, and Kaman established himself against Camby. Height differential even factored in the backcourt, where 6-foot-7 point guard Shaun Livingston could easily post up 5-5 Earl Boykins, who returned to the Nuggets’ lineup after 16 games on the sidelines with two broken bones in his left hand. Playing with a taped wrist with a protective pad, he scored six points on 2-of-8 shooting.
“It’s rare you have seven turnovers and lose a basketball game. Our problem was the first half we allowed them to score,” Boykins said. “The second half we played good defense, and that was the key to the game. We lost this game in the first half.”
Although the Nuggets stayed close for much of the first half, the Clippers had a 54-45 halftime lead, thanks to their 30-20 rebounding edge.
“You always take something positive out of the game,” Miller said. “I think we are going to have a solid practice (today) and learn from it and move on to Monday’s game.
“Obviously, when you lose there is some disappointment. You got to take something from this. Learn from it and get ready for practice. Hopefully, the energy from the ending stretch carries over to Monday.”
Staff writer Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or at athompson@denverpost.com.
Out of action
A look at how players who missed playing time with recent injuries fared in the opening game of the Nuggets-Clippers series.
NUGGETS
Earl Boykins, Broken left hand – Couldn’t find shooting touch
Eduardo Najera, Sore right foot – Drew DNP
Greg Buckner, Left-knee bruise – Benched to start second half
CLIPPERS
Corey Maggette, Herniated disc – 7 rebounds, 8 points
Vladimir Radmanovic, Groin strain – Hit game-winning free throws
Zeljko Rebraca, Back spasms – Saw limited action
Quinton Ross, Herniated disc – 2 turnovers, 0 points
Nuggets lose Game 1
BRANDED: Quick start
In the first quarter of his playoff career, Clippers forward Elton Brand showed why he was an all-star this season. He scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting while playing every minute. He also had three offensive rebounds and a steal.
So much for playoff jitters.
AT COURTSIDE: Cheering help
The Clippers’ game operations crew tried their best to tell fans when to cheer but not always with success. At one point in the first quarter, one crowd-hyping dude told fans to repeat the words to Queen’s famed song, “We Will Rock You.”
While it wasn’t like a Lakers game, there were some celebrities on hand. Storied Clippers fan and comedian Billy Crystal was in his usual seat. Also on hand was actor Frankie Muniz, actress Regina King (a close friend of Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe’s wife, Peggy), R&B singer Ciara and music producer “Big Jon” Platt from Denver. Platt is a seven-year Clippers season-ticket holder who plans on attending Game 3 Thursday at the Pepsi Center. So who is Platt rooting for? “It’s win-win for me. I’m a ticket holder for the Clippers, but I’m from Denver,” Platt said.
Also on hand was Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, who owns a home in L.A.
KEY STAT: Arc favors L.A.
The Nuggets were one of the NBA’s poorest 3-point shooting teams during the regular season. That didn’t change Saturday in Game 1. Through three quarters, the Nuggets were 0-for-3 beyond the arc. They finished 1-for-6. The Clippers went 6-of-12 from 3-point range.
KEY SEQUENCE: Not so clutch
In the final six seconds, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony put up an airball from 18 feet on the right side, then missed a jumper under heavy pressure from the left corner, a shot that would have sent the playoff game into overtime.
GIVE HIM A HUG: Let’s hook up
Clippers guard Sam Cassell wound up in the grasp of Nuggets coach George Karl during the third quarter when he was hustling for a loose ball near the Nuggets’ sideline. Both got a big smile out of the pratfall. Cassell played for Karl in Milwaukee and they are friends.
Nuggets-Clippers series
Game 1: Los Angeles 89, Denver 87 (Los Angeles leads series 1-0)
Game 2: at Los Angeles, Monday, 8:30 p.m.
Game 3: at Denver, Thursday, 8:30 p.m.
Game 4: at Denver, Saturday, 8:30 p.m.
Game 5: *at L.A., Monday, May 1, TBD
Game 6: *at Denver, Thursday, May 4, TBD
Game 7: *at L.A., Saturday, May 6, TBD
(*if necessary)
