On April 20, the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs in the Western Conference ushered in a focus matchup, with the Denver Nuggets competing fiercely with the Los Angeles Clippers at home. After four quarters of fierce battle and entering overtime, the Nuggets finally relied on their more stable inside advantage and key rounds to narrowly beat the Clippers 112-110, taking the lead in the series.

The game was fast-paced and extremely intense. Both sides showed full defensive intensity at the beginning, with frequent physical confrontations and many interruptions. In the first quarter, the Clippers, led by Harden, gradually established a leading advantage through a large number of fouls and free throws, and once led by double digits. In the second quarter, the Nuggets began to narrow the gap. Jokic and Murray made consecutive hits. At the end of the half, the score was 49-53 , and the Nuggets were only 4 points behind .

The second half of the game was even more stalemate. Jokic continued to control the rhythm, not only causing damage with low-post attacks, but also frequently providing assists to drive his teammates; the Clippers relied on Harden's outside shooting and Leonard's singles to maintain their lead. At the end of the third quarter, Westbrook played a key role, helping the Nuggets to overtake through consecutive steals and breakthroughs. In the final stage of the fourth quarter, the Clippers tied the score with Harden's difficult jump shot, and the game went into overtime.

In overtime, the Nuggets relied on Jokic and Gordon to create threats in the interior to establish a slight advantage. Although Harden hit two consecutive shots to chase the Clippers, in the last crucial attack, Harden made a fatal mistake under Westbrook's high-pressure defense and finally missed the opportunity to tie or overtake. The Nuggets successfully defended the victory and narrowly defeated their opponents by two points.

Player statistics for this game:

Clippers player statistics:

Harden 32 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, Leonard 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, Zubac 21 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, Powell 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, Dunn 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, Batum 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, Derrick Jones 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, Bogdanovic 5 rebounds, 2 assists, Simmons 2 rebounds, 2 assists

Nuggets player statistics:

Jokic 29 points, 9 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals, Aaron Gordon 25 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, Murray 21 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, Westbrook 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, Braun 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, Watson 6 points, 2 rebounds, Porter 3 points, 4 rebounds, Pickett 2 points, 2 rebounds

After the first loss, the Clippers need to adjust their strategy as soon as possible, especially in terms of decision-making and execution in closing key rounds, while the Nuggets need to continue to use their inside advantage and home court atmosphere to expand their lead in the series. The next match will continue in two days. This Western Conference matchup is still full of suspense and deserves the fans' continued attention.