Clippers Nuggets Takeaway: Norman Powell had the best night as a Clipper

Norman Powell grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder with a smile on his face. His great night was one of the main reasons the Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets.

As he began to walk away, Powell turned back to the media and said he remembered playing against Portland for the first time since moving to LA, a game in which he scored 22 points in the fourth game, a career high since a quarter.

He did it again Saturday night. When asked about it, Powell said he was unaware of it.

“I guess,” Powell said. “You have to tell me.”

He laughed.

Read more: Norman Powell scores 37 points in the Clippers' win over the Nuggets

It was a night of nights for Powell. His team-high 37 points were the most he scored with the Clippers.

“Just stay in the moment and be aggressive, man,” Powell said. “We didn’t want to lose. So whatever that looked like, I was aggressive in my attacks, in my shots, in my reads, whatever it was, and did whatever it took to help us win. That was my main focus – making an impact and making plays.”

Powell did this in the most effective way. He was eight for nine from the field in the fourth quarter and made all four shots from three-point range. His last three goals tied the game with 53 seconds left.

For the game, he shot 14 for 21 from the field and seven for 11 from three-point range.

At what point, Powell was asked, did he know he had made it?

“I took shots,” he said. “So you know you’re doing well when you’re recording. But I didn't think about it. I just focused on what the next piece was, what the next read was and really just staying in the moment. I don't think about how many goals I score or what happens, missed shots, made shots, good games, bad games. The focus is on staying balanced, staying balanced, staying balanced and focusing on what I need to do to help this team win.”

When the Clippers opened training camp, Powell said his goal was to become a starter. He had been a very good sixth man for the Clippers, but he was looking for more. And on Saturday night, Powell showed what he is worth as a starter.

“It just shows the work, the commitment to get better, the commitment to myself and the belief in myself, the belief in the coaches and the organization that let me step into the role,” Powell said. “But it’s what I expect of myself every night. That's what I work for. I was prepared for it.”

Here are two other takeaways from the Clippers' 109-104 win:

Harden the ends strongly

As James Harden sat on the bench in the fourth quarter, watching his team falter, he leaned forward and looked at the coaching staff. With the Clippers trailing by four points, James entered the game with 7:06 left. He took the wheel and led his team to the finish line.

Harden was six for six from the free throw line, had three assists and eight points in his final shift. He finished the game with 23 points and 16 assists.

“I always want to play. I don’t remember that moment, but I always want to play,” he said. “I just love playing basketball, I love competing, I love playing basketball at the highest level. You know what I mean?

“So the NBA season is back. We played Game 2 against one of the best teams we have in the entire league. … The guys did a really good job of just keeping their composure and finishing the game.”

Harden missed one of two free throws in overtime that could have tied the game in Wednesday's season opener against the Phoenix Suns. This time he didn't give in.

Harden's two free throws with 30.5 seconds left gave the Clippers a two-point lead, and his two free throws with 14.3 seconds left gave them a three-point lead.

“I just do them,” Harden said.

Zubac has a strong game

He shook his head several times and laughed, probably because that was all Clippers center Ivica Zubac could do when asked what it was like facing Denver's otherworldly center Nikola Jokic.

Jokic had 41 points. He was seven for twelve from three-point range.

Jokic was everything Zubac and the Clippers expected from the NBA's three-time most valuable player.

“He has so much in his game,” Zubac said. “He’s just tough. There's so much stuff they can throw out there, so many different pieces for him in so many different places. You have to be prepared for anything.”

However, Zubac was a force in his own right. He posted a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

With Kawhi Leonard out with right knee inflammation, Zubac knows there is a hole that needs to be filled.

“That’s going to be one of the things this season, just being more aggressive on offense,” Zubac said. “We need it, especially now with Kawhi out. We need everyone to be more aggressive on offense and hit their shots.”

It was the first time in his nine-year career that he scored more than 20 points in consecutive games. Zubac had 21 points in the Clippers' loss to the Suns.

“Just play the game,” Zubac said. “I think now I'm going to get the looks and the touches and we're going to make some plays for me, the guys are looking for me. “I'm going to be out there a lot of minutes so don't force anything. Just let the game come to me, play in the flow of the game and whatever it is.

“Some nights it might not be 20. Some nights it might be less, but just play with the flow of the game. Make the right play, make the right reads. Sometimes it's maybe 20, sometimes it's maybe eight, 12,” whatever it is. Just play it right.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.