After a nip-and-tuck affair throughout almost the entire game, the Los Angeles Clippers leaned on the debuting Bennedict Mathurin to hold on and escape the Denver Nuggets in a narrow 115-114 victory on Friday.
In his first game for the Clippers, Mathurin poured in a whopping 38 points, to go along with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, all while coming off the bench.
“We just had to be ourselves. I went out there and played as Ben Mathurin… I’m looking forward to doing it every single night,” Mathurin said postgame.
Bennedict Mathurin Makes Clippers History
After being recently acquired in a trade that sent Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, Mathurin’s 38 points mark the highest scoring output an LA Clipper has had in his home debut, outclassing Paul George’s 37 in 2019.
Moreover, Mathurin also surpassed Jamal Crawford for the most points scored by a Clippers reserve in his debut, proving to be a reliable spark plug for Los Angeles off the bench.
After notching a disappointing 6-21 record in December, the Clippers are now only one game below .500 at 27-28, all while having yet to see the anticipated debut of Darius Garland, who was acquired in a deal for James Harden prior to the trade deadline.
Nuggets Had a Chance to Extend the Game
With the game in its dying seconds, Nuggets star Jamal Murray had a chance to send the game to overtime after being fouled at the three-point line with less than a second left. Despite making the first two, Murray failed to convert the last one.
Despite the loss, Denver still had five players score more than 15 points and remains in the fourth spot in the Western Conference.
The Clippers will try to extend their momentum when they face their city rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, on Saturday, while the Nuggets will attempt to bounce back against the Portland Trail Blazers on the same day.
