Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Kawhi Leonard and Paul George united to spark a fourth-quarter comeback and lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 113-107 win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of a Western Conference semifinals series.
George scored 32 points to help the Clippers take a 3-2 lead in the series Monday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex inside the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.
Leonard was all over the court and filled the box score with 23 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
"This game is always predicated on whoever plays defense first, wins," George told reporters. "I thought we incorporated that and put this game away."
George scored 10 points in the first 12 minutes to lead the Clippers to a 33-32 edge entering the second quarter. The Nuggets responded with a 9-2 run midway through the second quarter for a 55-43 lead. The Clippers answered to cut the Nuggets lead to 59-57 at the end of the quarter.
The Nuggets pushed their lead back to 10 points in the third quarter, but the Clippers fought back and trailed 88-84 at the end of the frame. Denver then went on a 7-0 run at the start of the final frame and took a 97-90 lead with 8:29 remaining before the Clippers' final response. Los Angeles used a 14-4 run to take a 104-101 lead with 4:27 remaining and never lost the advantage.
"We take pride in our defense and we wanted to win," Leonard said. "We had to execute on the offense end with no turnovers and we were able to get it done."
Nikola Jokic tied George with a game-high 32 points for the Nuggets. Jokic also had 12 rebounds and eight assists in the loss. Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds off the bench for Denver. Jamal Murray had 14 points, nine assists and four rebounds for the Nuggets.
"They had really aggressive defense in the fourth quarter," Jokic said. "We just needed to use that against them, [but didn't].
Marcus Morris had 12 points for the Clippers. Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, off the Clippers bench.
The Clippers and Nuggets clash in Game 4 at 9 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Orlando. The winner of the best-of-seven series will face the Los Angeles Lakers or Houston Rockets in the Western Conference finals.
Moments from LeBron James' career
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School senior LeBron James (L) drives around a Zanesvuille defender in Akron, Ohio, on February 14, 2003. James is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. A couple months later, the Cleveland Cavaliers coach
was suspended because James worked out with the team before he graduated from high school. Photo by Tom Cammett/UPI |
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James slam dunks the ball against the Denver Nuggets in Cleveland, on November 5, 2003. The Cavaliers
lost 93-89 in their home opener. Photo by Scott R. Galvin/UPI |
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James keeps the ball from Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Wallace in Charlotte, N.C., on November 18, 2004. Earlier that year, James
was chosen as Rookie of the Year and named to the National Basketball Association All-Rookie Team. Photo by Nell Redmond/UPI |
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (R) reaches in for the steal from James in Los Angeles on January 12, 2006. The Lakers
defeated the Cavaliers 99-98. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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James puts in a layup over Washington Wizards Jared Jeffries in Washington, D.C., on April 16, 2006. Washington
defeated Cleveland 104-92. Photo by Mark Goldman/UPI |
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James looks back to the bench during a timeout in the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills, Mich., on May 9, 2006. The Pistons
defeated the Cavaliers 97-91 in game two of the second round of playoffs. Later that year, James
signed a three-year extension with the Cavaliers. Photo by Scott R. Galvin/UPI |
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James pumps his fist during the final seconds of the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on March 31, 2007. The Cavaliers
won 112-108 in overtime. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI |
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James smiles before the game against the New York Knicks in New York City on December 19, 2007. The Knicks
defeated the Cavaliers 108-90. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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James hits a long 3-point shot at the buzzer before halftime against the New York Knicks in New York City on March 5, 2008. James scored 50 points as the Cavaliers
defeated the Knicks 119-105. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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The United States' Jason Kidd (L to R), James and Chris Paul celebrate a win over Spain to
claim the gold medal for men's basketball during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing on August 24, 2008. The United States won 118 to 107. Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI |
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Coach Dru Joyce (L to R), James and director Kristopher Belman arrive at a screening of the film "More Than A Game" in Paris on September 2, 2009. The Cavaliers had finished the previous season as the Eastern Conference's
top seed. Photo by David Silpa/UPI |
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James goes through his pregame ritual before playing against the New York Knicks in New York City on November 6, 2009. The Cavaliers
defeated the Knicks 100-91. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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James shows off his second consecutive NBA
MVP trophy before Game 2 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics in Cleveland on May 3, 2010. Photo by David Richard/UPI |
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James drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles on December 25, 2010. The Heat
defeated the Lakers 96-80. After seven years playing in Cleveland, James
signed with the Miami Heat summer 2010. Photo by Lori Shepler/UPI |
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James drives to the basket during the second quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in Chicago on May 26, 2011. The Heat
defeated the Bulls 83-80. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI |
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James gets ready to play against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on April 12, 2012. The Bulls
defeated the Heat 96-86 in overtime. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI |
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James (L) and Miami Heat teammate Dwayne Wade stand on the court while the Heat shoot free throws against the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round of the NBA Playoffs in New York City on May 6, 2012. The Knicks
defeated the Heat 89-87. Later that month, James
won the NBA MVP Award for the third time. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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The United States' Tyson Chandler (L to R), Kevin Durant, James, and Westbrook Russell joke with teammates after receiving
their gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on August 12, 2012. The United States defeated Spain to claim the gold 107-100. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI |
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President Barack Obama (R) laughs as he listens to James talk about his visit to the White House and Dwayne Wade holds an "Obama" jersey, as the Miami Heat visit the East Room in Washington, D.C., on January 28, 2013. Later that year, the Heat
won their second consecutive title. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI |
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James' shot is blocked by Brooklyn Nets Andray Blatche (C) and point guard Shaun Livingston (L) in New York City on November 1, 2013. The Nets
defeated the Heat 101-100. Photo by Rich Kane/UPI |
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James wears a jersey with his nickname, "King James," on the back against the Brooklyn Nets in New York City on January 10, 2014. The Nets
defeated the Heat 104-95 in double overtime. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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James stands on the floor during a timeout against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on March 9, 2014. The Bulls
defeated the Heat 95-88 in overtime. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPi |
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James
honors the fallen Eric Garner with a T-shirt that says "I can't breathe" as he is introduced at the start of the game against the Brooklyn Nets in New York City on December 8, 2014. ***He's back on the Cavs**** UPI/Rich Kane |
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James drives the the basket as Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler defends during Game 3 the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the NBA Playoffs in Chicago on May 8, 2015. The Bulls
defeated the Cavaliers 99-96 and lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI |
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James (L) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith laugh as they watch their teammates finish off the Chicago Bulls in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the NBA Playoffs in Chicago on May 14, 2015 in Chicago. The Cavaliers
defeated the Bulls 94-73, winning the series 4-2 and advancing the the Eastern Conference Finals. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI |
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James fires a jump shot over Brooklyn Nets Wayne Ellington in New York City on January 20, 2016. The Cavaliers defeated the Nets 91-78. In late 2015, James
ranked in the top 25 of NBA top scorers and top assisters. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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James (L) introduces Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, 2016. Earlier in the year, James
wrote a column in support of Clinton's candidacy. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI |
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James arrives on the red carpet at the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Ceremony 2016 in New York City on December 12, 2016. James
was honoredd as the 2016 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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Cast member James, back left, attends the
premiere of "Smallfoot" with his wife, Savannah,and their children, Bryce Maximus (L to R), Zhuri and LeBron Jr. in Los Angeles on September 22, 2018. James voiced the character Gwangi in the animated film. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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James participates in Lakers media day in El Segundo, Calif., on September 27, 2019. James
joined the Lakers in late 2018. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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James continues his dribble while falling to the court against the Warriors in second quarter action in Los Angeles on November 13, 2019. The Lakers
defeated the Warriors 120-94. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI |
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The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James speaks during the Los Angeles Lakers'
ceremony to honor Kobe Bryant before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Los Angeles on January 31, 2020. James, who is in his second season with the Lakers and passed Bryant to take third place on the NBA's all-time scoring list Saturday night, spoke about the death of Bryant to the crowd. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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James smiles during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks in Los Angeles on March 6, 2020. The Lakers defeated the Bucks 113-103. A couple months later, James and several other NBA stars had a
private conference about how to resume the season during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI |
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