Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, right, reaches in on Clippers guard James Harden during the first half on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, shoots as Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard Jordan Miller, right, passes the ball while under pressure from Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard James Harden, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers forward John Collins, center, grabs a pass as Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson, right, reaches in during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard James Harden, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, top right, attempts a shot as Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) and center Ivica Zubac (40) defend during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and Clippers center Ivica Zubac before tipoff in an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, top, and Clippers guard Kris Dunn reach for a rebound during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard James Harden gets to the basket for a layup between the Denver Nuggets’ Bruce Brown (11), Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) and Christian Braun (0) during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun winces while grabbing his leg during the first half of a game against the Clippers on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard Kobe Sanders, second from right, goes after a rebound along with Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas, second from left, and guard Jamal Murray, right, during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard Jordan Miller handles the ball while pressured by Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown during the first half on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., left, shoots as Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, center, shoots as Clippers guard James Harden, left, and forward Derrick Jones Jr. defend during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) shoots as Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers center Ivica Zubac, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, left, and Clippers forward John Collins reach for a rebound during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones, left, and Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic reach for a rebound during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, reaches in on Clippers guard James Harden during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic shoots a fadeaway jumper in front of Clippers center Brook Lopez during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, shoots as Clippers center Brook Lopez defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard Jordan Miller, left, shoots as Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., right, argues his foul with referee Natalie Sago (9) as center Ivica Zubac, left, looks on during the second half of their loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, right, shoots as Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard Jordan Miller, right, drives past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson, center, shoots as Clippers forward Nicolas Batum, left, and guard James Harden defend during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers forward John Collins, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic drives to the basket in front of Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) and forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic reacts during the second half of their victory over the Clippers on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Brook Lopez, left, and Jordan Miller react as they walk to the bench for a timeout during the second half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray drives to the basket as Clippers guard James Harden defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, watches his shot as Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. defends during the second half on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Jokic scored 55 points as the Nuggets handed the Clippers their sixth straight loss, 130-116. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, center, shoots as Clippers center Ivica Zubac, left, and guard Bogdan Bogdanovic defend during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard Kobe Sanders, left, and Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas reach for a rebound during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman, right, questions a call by referee Evan Scott during the second half of their game against the Clippers on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., rubs his ear while guarding Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas, left, scores around Clippers center Ivica Zubac during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Clippers forward Nicolas Batum,, right, tries to shoot as Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Clippers guard James Harden looks up at the scoreboard after their 130-116 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, right, reaches in on Clippers guard James Harden during the first half on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
INGLEWOOD — There are two choices every opposing coach faces when playing the Denver Nuggets.
Try to slow three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and make the rest of the team beat you or focus on stopping the role players and let the highly versatile 6-foot-11 center do his thing.
The Clippers chose the latter and Jokic obliged, scoring 55 points on 18-of-23 shooting from the field and a 14-of-16 effort from the free-throw line, with 12 rebounds and six assists in a 130-116 victory that extended the Nuggets’ winning streak to six games and pushed the Clippers’ losing streak to six games.
Neither approach against Denver has been successful for most teams this season, and the Clippers didn’t have any better luck in stopping Jokic and the Nuggets (9-2), who had three other players score in double figures.
Coming into Wednesday’s game, Jokic was averaging 32 points, 12 rebounds and shooting 72.7% from the field in the previous five games, becoming the only player to average a 30-point triple-double over a five-game stretch since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1968.
Coach Tyronn Lue said the plan was to make him score but take away his passing, which he thought they were successful doing in the first half.
“We knew Jamal Murray (15 points) would be more aggressive in the second half, but I didn’t think he (Jokic) would score 55,” Lue said. “He made some 3s. He plays like a guard when Zu (Ivica Zubac) was on him with pin downs and all that stuff, which is tough for Zu to try to navigate through.”
And when the Clippers went small, Jokic posted up, making him a tough cover for anyone. “But I didn’t think he would get 55,” Lue repeated.
The Clippers (3-8) now hit the road for a two-week trip that begins Friday night in Dallas, and they will do it without two of their normal starters. Kawhi Leonard has missed five consecutive games because of a sprained ankle and foot, and earlier Wednesday it was announced that veteran guard Bradley Beal will undergo season-ending surgery for a fractured hip.
James Harden picked up the scoring slack again for the depleted Clippers, finishing with 23 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and a 10-of-10 showing from the foul line with eight rebounds and five assists. Zubac had 18 points and eight rebounds, while Jordan Miller added a career-high 22 points.
Without their two stars, the Clippers relied on a variety of lineups to grab a first-half lead. With Jokic on the bench, the younger generation, players such as Kobe Sanders and Miller, had a role in the Clippers building a 52-43 lead with 7:02 left in the second quarter.
Miller beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to get the Clippers within 39-35 at the end of the first quarter, while Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has appeared in just four games this season, gave the Clippers their first lead since early in the game on a 3-pointer at the 9:16 mark of the second.
“We got to do it by committee,” Lue said before the game.
Despite Jokic returning to the court, the Clippers hung on for a 68-63 halftime lead.
Lue might have stumbled onto something. The bench players provided some needed punch in the first half and gave the normally disconnected Clippers a solid shot at beating the Nuggets – for a while.
“I think the coaches are showing a lot of confidence in these guys,” Lue said. “These guys are showing confidence. We know we got to do some things better, we know we’re short-handed and we don’t have a lot of margins for error. We understand that.”
The errors began to creep in during the second half, enabling the Nuggets to build a 14-point lead (90-76) with an 18-6 run that was capped by Jokic’s fifth 3-pointer with 5:46 left in the third.
Trailing 98-83, Lue put Sanders and Miller, and later Bogdanovic, back in the game, but by then the margin was too big and Jokic was too good. Jokic reached the 50-point barrier when he made two free throws with 1:58 left in the third to give the Nuggets a 100-84 lead.
“For the most part, the first half was really good,” Lue said. “It’s just the third quarters that are killing us, not being able to score the basketball, not taking care of the ball. So, we just got to get better with the third quarter.”
Lue said the Clippers needed a defensive mindset against the Nuggets, but like every game, there were too many breakdowns and missed opportunities. And of course, Jokic.
Jokic’s 55 points tie for the highest-scoring performance in the NBA this season. Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 55 in a double-overtime game at Indiana on Oct. 23.
Jokic scored 25 of Denver’s 39 points in the first quarter. He had eight in the second before coming back with 19 in the third. He sat out most of the fourth before scoring three points to complete his night. The Serbian big man finished 5 for 6 from 3-point range.
Despite the Beal news and the losing streak, Lue said before the game that the team was “in a good place, a good position mentally” and all they needed was a victory.
The Clippers are going to have to get that elusive victory on the road, if possible.
“We just got to find ourselves on the road and this is a great time to do it by staying together, sticking together,” Lue said.
“We hit some rough patches these last six games, so going out on the road, finding ourselves, playing better basketball, getting some wins, and it starts with Dallas coming up. It’s not going to be an easy game.”