Feb 2nd NBA Basketball Prediction: Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Frank Martin
The Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets are two of the young teams trying to take over the Western Conference. So far – along with Oklahoma City – they are succeeding.
The Clippers host the Nuggets on Thursday for their second meeting in five days, and they could know each other real well by season’s end. After two more regular-season encounters, it would be no surprise if they met up to seven times in the playoffs.
Denver, though, enters anything like world beaters. The Nuggets blew a 12-point lead with nine minutes to go and lost at Memphis 100-97 in overtime on Tuesday. The Clippers have won four straight after their 107-105 victory at Utah on Wednesday. The first meeting served as a homecoming for Denver native Chauncey Billups, who dropped 32 points to lead the Clippers to a 109-105 victory Sunday, their third straight over the Nuggets.
- Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Clippers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, February 2, 2012
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
The Clippers have opened as 1-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NBA Basketball Odds.
Denver Nuggets (14-7): Denver begins its second and final back-to-back-to-back set of the season; it went 2-1 the first time. The Nuggets host the Lakers in another nationally televised game Friday before playing at Portland on Saturday. Point guard Ty Lawson returned Tuesday after missing two games with an ankle injury. Denver’s bench continues to be a huge factor: It outscored the starters 54-43 on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Clippers (13-6): The upstart Los Angeles team leads its intercity rival by 1 1/2 games in the Pacific Division and Chris Paul is the biggest reason for the uprising. Paul had 34 points, 11 assists and three steals Thursday and is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 18 points, eight assists and two steals. Billups will become the 98th player in NBA history to reach 1,000 games. Los Angeles hits the road following the game for its first of two six-game trips this season.
1. The Nuggets committed 24 turnovers Tuesday, well above their season average of 16.3, which is fifth-worst in the NBA.
2. Denver’s bench averages 43.5 points per game, second in the NBA; Los Angeles averages 22.9, second to last.
NBA BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Nuggets 102, Clippers 100
Bet on NBA Basketball games with SBG Global Sportsbook, click here!
Related Articles
- Western Conference NBA Picks and Tips: Denver at Los Angeles
- Las Vegas Free NBA Picks: Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
- NBA Best Record Holders Oklahoma City Thunder Visiting Los Angeles Clippers
- Western Conference NBA Odds: Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
- NBA Basketball Free Picks: Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Clippers
Category
Tags
chauncey billups - chris paul - denver nuggets - los angeles clippers - staples center - ty lawson
