Clippers get first win of 2025 season, 109-104 at Denver • 213hoops.com

After losing a brutal first game of the season at home, the Clippers picked themselves up and picked up an impressive 109-104 win in Denver in another close game. We won't be doing any recaps for the most part this year, but the first win of the season seemed deserving of one.

The Clippers outscored the Nuggets for most of the game, but some absurd shooting from Nikola Jokic (41 points on 14-26 shooting, 7-11 from three) kept the Nuggets hanging after being badly outnumbered early. The Nuggets even had a small points lead in the final frame, but shots from Norm Powell and some free throws from James Harden ultimately won the game. Here are some comments.

Big Zu, big time: On an individual level, the biggest story from the Clippers' first two games is the play of Ivica Zubac. Big Zu had 24 points on 11-17 shooting, 15 rebounds, 4 assists and a block and played an incredible 39 minutes. He scored 20 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career, exactly the kind of points the Clippers needed with Kawhi out and Paul George gone. His defense against Jokic was honestly pretty good, Jokic is just crazy. And his ability to play 39 minutes and still end up playing solidly and racking up one of the highest minutes totals of his career was extremely impressive. If he plays anywhere near that level, maybe the Clippers could stay afloat without Kawhi.

Harden, under control: This was Harden at his late-career best. Compared to his performance against the Suns, where he took 29 shots and forced everything, Harden shot just 11 in this game and was content to orchestrate the show. He still scored 23 points, mostly thanks to 12-13 from the line, and will have to be aggressive in other games, but he was on full display in this game. The seven turnovers were a lot, but considering how much possession he had, they weren't a surprise. More importantly, he was almost always in control, making sure the trains ran on time. There are a lot of limitations to Harden's game now, but he's still pretty darn good on offense.

Norm, explosive: Norm Powell had a game for the ages, scoring 37 points on 14-21 shooting and 7-11 on three shots. He just couldn't miss, especially in the 4th quarter, and was unstoppable despite the solid Denver defense. Norm obviously won't be that hot most nights, but the Clippers could really use him if he makes that many threes every night since he's the only big shooter on the team other than Harden. Great stuff.

Role players step up: While the three guys mentioned above were the stars of the show, Kris Dunn, Nic Batum, Derrick Jones Jr. and Amir Coffey were excellent on defense and generally made solid plays. The Clippers couldn't have won without them filling the gaps and making stops, with Jones and Dunn also combining for 20 points.

Porter Jr. Out: Kevin Porter Jr. wasn't the only disappointing Clipper in this game (Terance Mann was almost invisible), but he was the most active player as he went 2-10 from the field in 15 minutes and had 2 turnovers to 1 assist. He finished with a +8 because the Nuggets bench was terrible and other Clippers stepped up, but this was another terrible performance from Porter, who forced difficult shots and didn't get particularly close to them. The Clippers will probably stick with him for a while, but a few more games like this and the Clippers should go somewhere else.