Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

‘Killer Mentality, Protect Home Court’ – Clippers’ James Harden Makes Intentions Clear After Leading Nuggets 2–1

Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

James Harden’s LA Clippers marked a dominating game 3 win against the Denver Nuggets. Following the all-important victory, Harden shared his two cents about the Clippers’ performance and the strategy ahead for them against Jokic’s Nuggets.

James Harden, when asked about the fourth game, said, “We have to keep a killer mentality. Protect the home court, and not get too hyped”. James Harden was all praise for his teammates as well, as four of the five starters scored more than 18 points in the game. They will now look to close Denver out with the fourth game at the Intuit Dome.

The CLIPPERS get the 117-83 WIN over the Nuggets and TAKE A 2-1 SERIES LEAD 😤

James Harden: 20 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST

Kawhi Leonard: 21 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST

Ivica Zubac: 19 PTS, 9 REB, 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/qFYJFNiMDW
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) April 25, 2025

Also Read: Pistons vs. Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns Shines as Officiating Controversy Clouds Game 3 Thriller

The LA Clippers have a clear strategy to protect their home court after winning the third game of the NBA 2025 Playoffs. They already have a 2-1 lead going into the fourth game in Inglewood. If the Clippers manage to exert their strategy well and take out Nuggets in the game four, they will already have a foot into the semi-finals.

Stats from the regular season suggest that the LA Clippers are likely to win the next game as well, given their home-court domination. The Western Conference’s 6th seed side has a remarkable record of 30-11 while playing at home. Moreover, most of their home defeats occurred in the first half of the regular season.

The LA Clippers have only lost one home game since the All-star break, which shows their current form as well. All in all, the Denver Nuggets are in a place where they don’t want to be. And a lot of it has to do with the roster being unable to fire through with Jokic’s off form in this series.

Clippers Fire From Deep Strategy

The LA Clippers have employed a fire-from-deep strategy against the Denver Nuggets. With Nikola Jokic surrounding the paint area, the Clippers have tried to shoot more threes. They have been quite successful in their approach as well, effectively taking out the defensive prowess of Nikola Jokic.

The home side in the third game took 39 shots from the deep and managed to convert 18 of them. While the Denver Nuggets took just 26 three-point shots and managed to hit 7 accurately. The Clippers are ranked second this season when it comes to three-point percentage (37.3).

In the playoffs’ series so far, James Harden’s side has shot 43 three-pointers, with a 40.6 percentage. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder has shot more (45) than them so far in the first round. The Denver Nuggets currently hold no answer to the Clippers’ deep shot strategy, and it remains to be seen how they respond in the fourth game.