Bennedict Mathurin scored 38 points in his home debut for the Clippers, and they held off the Denver Nuggets 115-114 on Thursday night.
Denver’s Jamal Murray had a chance to tie it on three free throws with 0.9 seconds remaining after a foul from Derrick Jones Jr. Murray made the first two before missing the third, with time expiring on the rebound.
Kawhi Leonard added 23 points, and Jones had 22 to help the Clippers (27-28) improve to 21-7 since Dec. 20. Both teams were coming off the All-Star break.
Mathurin, acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, was 12 for 22 from the field, while Leonard went eight for 18 and scored at least 20 points for the 34th consecutive game.
Nikloa Jokic had 22 points and 17 rebounds for Denver (35-21). Murray scored 20 points, Bruce Brown had 19, and Cam Johnson and Julian Strawther added 18 each.
Denver was without Aaron Gordon (hamstring) for the 10th consecutive game, while Peyton Watson (hamstring) has missed the last four.
Tempers flared with 10:27 remaining when the Clippers’ Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Kris Dunn and Mathurin tangled with the Nuggets’ Jonas Valanciunas under the Denver basket after a free throw.
Dunn, Mathurin and Valanciunas all received technical fouls, with Denver making one free throw for an 83-83 tie.
The Nuggets tied it 107-107 with 46 seconds remaining on a shot inside from Jokic. The Clippers went ahead by four on free throws from Mathurin and Jones, but Murray drove for a dunk and hit a three before drawing the foul by Jones on a last-ditch attempt from beyond the arc.
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