The last time certain Nuggets players were in Inglewood, questions about the level of effort were thrown around. So maybe the Denver Nuggets were feeling fiesty when they returned. The LA Clippers were hosting Nikola Jokic again after the All-Star Weekend and tempers flared. A brawl late in the game resulted in three techs and possible fines and suspensions.

During the second half, Nuggets big, Jonas Valanciunas got tangled with Clippers’ Yanic Konan Niederhauser. The bench-clearing entanglement that ensued was a cluster of limbs and shoving. It’s hard to say what really happened.

According to The Athletic’s Law Murray, they got locked during a free throw box out. Something was said and Jonas was Mad.

He was arguing, trying to get back at Yanic, even fought of the referee and Clippers players trying to stop him. Yanic stayed out of it even though Valanciunas wanted to pick a fight. It was Bennedict Mathurin and Kris Dunn who ended up engaging him before referees broke it up.

After a tough review, the refs awarded techs to Jonas as well as Clippers’ Bennedict Mathurin and Kris Dunn. Denver also got a free-throw out of this, exactly as Murray predicted. No ejections were made. At that point the Nuggets were holding their lead when the game resumed (95-97 with about five minutes left in the game).

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Tim Hardaway Jr. also got into the fray but got away scot-free. Apart from arguing and shoving, fists didn’t fly during this ‘hostile act.’ So no fighting fouls that result in automatic ejections were award. But that doesn’t mean there’s no possibility of post-game consequences.

Murray also confirmed he’s doing the pool report tonight. So it will be interesting to see how the referees viewed it.

Clippers’ fortunes changed after the scuffle

This also happens to be Bennedict Mathurin’s home debut with the Clippers since they swapped him with Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline. He had a point to make tonight, and he did.

Not only did he explode for 36 points that gave the Clippers a last minute 109-107 lead, he just showed he’d stand up for his teammates. Mathurin’s effort turned the tide. The Nuggets lost their lead and lost 115-114 after Jamal Murray missed the game-tying free throw.

Mathurin finished with 38 points while shooting 12-of-22 from the field and added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals to his tally. That’s the most points by a reserve in his first home game with a team in NBA history.  After the game, Ty Lue revealed he will be involving Mathurin in second half offense a lot more going forward. He’s definitely over losing Ivica Zubac to the Pacers.

Kris Dunn only had 2 points but had 8 rebounds and assists each. Valanciunas had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals in 12 minutes of action. Although he had limited minutes, he created the most exciting moment in the game.

Fans are seeing the Clippers and Nuggets as playoff contenders after LA’s dramatic trade deadline and Denver getting its centers back healthy. And with Mathurin now in LA, fans aren’t sure that Nikola Jokic is enough for the Nuggets to take a 7-game series.