Clippers vs Denver Nuggets match player stats tell the story of one of the closest games between these Western Conference teams during the 2025-26 NBA season. The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets 115-114 on February 19, 2026, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Bennedict Mathurin stole the spotlight with 38 points, while Nikola Jokić produced another big all-around performance for Denver.
This article focuses on their most recent completed meeting before September 19, 2026. The teams are scheduled to meet again in preseason on October 14, 2026.
Quick Game Summary
| Game Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Denver Nuggets vs LA Clippers |
| Date | February 19, 2026 |
| Venue | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California |
| Final Score | Clippers 115, Nuggets 114 |
| Clippers Top Scorer | Bennedict Mathurin — 38 points |
| Nuggets Top Scorer | Nikola Jokić — 22 points |
| Top Rebounder | Nikola Jokić — 17 rebounds |
| Attendance | 17,927 |
| Game Time | 2 hours, 31 minutes |
The Clippers improved to 27-28 with the victory, while Denver moved to 35-21 after the loss.
Clippers vs Denver Nuggets Match Player Stats
The final score was separated by only one point, but the individual numbers show many different stories inside the game.
Mathurin provided the biggest scoring performance. Jokić controlled the glass. Jamal Murray filled several statistical categories, while Kawhi Leonard and Derrick Jones Jr. gave Los Angeles important scoring support.
LA Clippers Player Stats
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennedict Mathurin | 38 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 12-22 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 23 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8-18 |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7-15 |
| John Collins | 11 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5-10 |
| Brook Lopez | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4-10 |
| Nicolas Batum | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2-3 |
| Yanic Konan Niederhäuser | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2-3 |
| Kris Dunn | 2 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1-4 |
| Jordan Miller | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0-2 |
| Isaiah Jackson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-0 |
The Clippers shot 47.1% from the field, making 41 of 87 attempts. They struggled from deep at only 8-of-33, but they compensated by scoring efficiently inside and getting to the free-throw line.
Denver Nuggets Player Stats
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 22 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9-22 |
| Jamal Murray | 20 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5-15 |
| Bruce Brown | 19 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6-9 |
| Cameron Johnson | 18 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6-12 |
| Julian Strawther | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6-11 |
| Christian Braun | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3-6 |
| Jonas Valančiūnas | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2-3 |
| Spencer Jones | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1-3 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-5 |
Denver shot 45.3% overall and made 13 three-pointers. The Nuggets also recorded 29 assists, two more than Los Angeles, but their 17 turnovers became an important part of the story.
Bennedict Mathurin Was the Difference Maker
There were famous stars on both sides, but Bennedict Mathurin produced the biggest scoring number of the night.
Mathurin finished with 38 points in 33 minutes and 49 seconds. He made 12 of his 22 field-goal attempts and was especially dangerous at the free-throw line, where he went 12-of-13.
He also collected five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
What made the performance even more memorable was the setting. This was Mathurin’s Clippers home debut after arriving from Indiana around the trade deadline, and his 38 points tied his career high.
His scoring mattered most when the game became tight.
With Denver pushing hard in the final minute, Los Angeles needed someone who could create points under pressure. Mathurin delivered.
Nikola Jokić Filled the Stat Sheet Again
Nikola Jokić did not have his most efficient shooting night, but his complete stat line was still impressive.
The Denver center recorded:
22 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists.
He made nine of 22 field goals but missed all six of his three-point attempts. He also had six turnovers and five personal fouls.
Even with those difficulties, Jokić remained central to everything Denver tried to do.
His 17 rebounds were easily the highest total in the game, and 15 of them came on the defensive end. He also scored inside late in the fourth quarter to help Denver tie the game at 107-107 with less than a minute remaining.
That is what makes Jokić difficult to defend. Even on a night when his outside shot does not fall, he can still affect the game through passing, rebounding and interior scoring.
Kawhi Leonard Added 23 Important Points
Kawhi Leonard quietly produced another useful performance for Los Angeles.
He scored 23 points, making eight of 18 shots and six of eight free throws. Leonard also finished with four rebounds and three assists.
His three-point shooting was cold—just one make in seven attempts—but the Clippers did not need him to carry every possession because Mathurin was scoring so efficiently.
Leonard’s presence still mattered. Denver could not simply focus its defense on one scorer because Kawhi remained dangerous from the mid-range and around the basket.
The game also continued a long scoring run for Leonard. The official NBA recap noted that he had reached at least 20 points for the 34th consecutive game at that stage of the season.
Jamal Murray Nearly Forced a Different Ending
Jamal Murray’s numbers were strong across the board:
20 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
He did not shoot particularly well from the field, going 5-of-15, but he reached the free-throw line 10 times and made eight.
Then came the final moment.
Denver was behind 115-112 when Murray was fouled while attempting a three-point shot with only 0.9 seconds remaining.
That meant three free throws.
Make all three, and the score would be tied.
Murray made the first.
Then he made the second.
The Nuggets were suddenly only one point behind.
But the third free throw missed. Time expired during the rebound, leaving Los Angeles with a dramatic 115-114 win.
A game lasting 48 minutes had effectively come down to one free throw.
Derrick Jones Jr. Gave the Clippers a Huge Boost
Derrick Jones Jr. may not always be the first player fans discuss when talking about Clippers scoring, but he delivered one of the team’s biggest performances in this matchup.
Jones scored 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
He also made six of his seven free throws.
That gave Los Angeles three players above 20 points:
Mathurin with 38, Leonard with 23 and Jones with 22.
Together, the trio scored 83 of the Clippers’ 115 points.
That scoring balance made the Clippers difficult to stop because Denver could not put all its attention on a single star.
John Collins Made His Mark on Defense and the Boards
John Collins scored only 11 points, but his stat line shows why points do not tell the entire story.
Collins grabbed 12 rebounds, including 11 defensive rebounds.
He also blocked three shots, the highest total by any player in the game.
Add four assists and a steal, and Collins delivered a very complete performance.
His rebounding was especially useful because Jokić was dominating the glass at the other end. Denver and Los Angeles eventually finished with the same total number of rebounds: 45 each.
Kris Dunn Helped Without Needing to Score
Kris Dunn scored just two points.
That sounds like a quiet game until you look at the rest of his numbers.
Dunn collected eight rebounds and handed out eight assists. He also recorded two steals.
For a guard who took only four shots, that is a useful contribution.
It is a good example of why looking only at the scoring column can hide important performances.
Julian Strawther Was Hot From Three
Denver needed outside shooting, and Julian Strawther provided plenty of it.
He scored 18 points while making six three-pointers on 10 attempts.
That meant every point Strawther scored came from behind the three-point line.
His shooting helped Denver considerably because Jokić went 0-for-6 from three and Tim Hardaway Jr. missed all four of his attempts.
Without Strawther’s hot shooting, the Nuggets would have found it much harder to stay close.
Bruce Brown’s Bench Production Was Huge
Bruce Brown also deserves attention.
Coming from the Denver bench, Brown scored 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
He added five rebounds and six assists while making three of five three-pointers.
It was an efficient performance.
However, the Clippers’ bench as a group had the bigger impact.
Los Angeles finished with 49 bench points compared with Denver’s 29. Mathurin was responsible for a huge part of that difference.
Clippers vs Nuggets Team Stats Comparison
| Statistic | Nuggets | Clippers |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 114 | 115 |
| Field Goals | 39-86 | 41-87 |
| FG Percentage | 45.3% | 47.1% |
| Three-Pointers | 13-40 | 8-33 |
| 3PT Percentage | 32.5% | 24.2% |
| Free Throws | 23-31 | 25-30 |
| Rebounds | 45 | 45 |
| Assists | 29 | 27 |
| Steals | 8 | 9 |
| Blocks | 2 | 4 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 12 |
| Points in Paint | 50 | 58 |
| Bench Points | 29 | 49 |
The numbers show something interesting.
Denver made five more three-pointers and had two more assists, yet the Clippers still won.
Why?
Los Angeles scored more efficiently inside, received much more bench scoring and protected the ball better. The Clippers committed only 12 turnovers compared with Denver’s 17.
Quarter-by-Quarter Score
The game stayed close almost from beginning to end.
| Quarter | Nuggets | Clippers |
|---|---|---|
| First | 24 | 25 |
| Second | 28 | 20 |
| Third | 25 | 33 |
| Fourth | 37 | 37 |
| Final | 114 | 115 |
Los Angeles led 25-24 after the opening quarter.
Denver answered strongly in the second, winning it 28-20 and taking a 52-45 advantage into halftime.
Then the Clippers changed the game after the break.
They won the third quarter 33-25, which turned their seven-point halftime deficit into a one-point lead.
That one point ended up being exactly the final margin.
Both teams scored 37 points in the fourth quarter.
Why Did the Clippers Win?
The Clippers did not win because they dominated every statistic.
In fact, Denver made more threes and produced more assists.
Los Angeles won by combining several smaller advantages.
The Clippers shot a little better overall, scored 58 points in the paint, had a huge 49-29 advantage in bench scoring and committed five fewer turnovers.
Mathurin’s free-throw shooting was another major factor.
He made 12 of 13 attempts, while the Clippers as a team converted 25 of 30.
Denver went 23-of-31.
In a one-point game, every missed free throw matters.
What Made the Final Minute So Dramatic?
With 46 seconds remaining, Jokić scored to make the game 107-107.
The game could have gone either way.
Mathurin later stepped to the line and made two free throws with nine seconds left, helping Los Angeles build a 115-112 advantage.
Denver still had one final opportunity.
Murray drew the three-shot foul with less than one second remaining.
His first two free throws made it 115-114.
The third one missed.
That was the game.
It was the kind of finish where fans could look back at dozens of earlier plays and wonder how one extra rebound, free throw or turnover might have changed everything.
Clippers vs Denver Nuggets Recent Meetings
This matchup has produced plenty of interesting basketball.
Before the Clippers’ 115-114 victory, Denver had won the January 30, 2026 meeting 122-109.
The Nuggets also won their November 12, 2025 meeting 130-116.
Their next listed matchup is a preseason game scheduled for October 14, 2026 at Intuit Dome.
That history gives the one-point Clippers victory extra significance. Denver had enjoyed success against Los Angeles earlier in the season, but this time the Clippers found a way to survive the final possession.
Biggest Takeaways From the Player Stats
The most obvious takeaway is Mathurin’s 38-point night.
But several other numbers are worth remembering.
Jokić’s 17 rebounds showed his control around the basket. Murray came close to a triple-double with 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. John Collins contributed a 12-rebound effort, while Kris Dunn matched Murray’s eight assists.
Strawther’s six three-pointers kept Denver’s offense dangerous.
And perhaps the most important team number was turnovers: Denver 17, Clippers 12.
Five additional possessions can become very important when the final difference is only one point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Clippers vs Denver Nuggets game?
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets 115-114 on February 19, 2026 at Intuit Dome.
Who scored the most points?
Bennedict Mathurin led all players with 38 points for the Clippers.
How many points did Nikola Jokić score?
Jokić finished with 22 points, 17 rebounds and six assists.
How many points did Kawhi Leonard score?
Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points and added four rebounds and three assists.
What were Jamal Murray’s stats?
Murray recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, plus two steals and one block.
Who had the most rebounds?
Nikola Jokić led the game with 17 rebounds.
Who had the most assists?
Jamal Murray and Kris Dunn shared the game high with eight assists each.
What was the score by quarter?
Denver scored 24, 28, 25 and 37 points. Los Angeles scored 25, 20, 33 and 37.
Why did Denver lose by one point?
Many plays affected the result, but the final moment came when Jamal Murray received three free throws with 0.9 seconds left. He made the first two but missed the third, leaving Los Angeles ahead 115-114 when time expired.
Final Thoughts
The Clippers vs Denver Nuggets match player stats show just how close this game really was. Denver had more three-pointers and assists, while Los Angeles had stronger bench production, fewer turnovers and more points inside.
Bennedict Mathurin’s 38-point performance was the headline, but this was not a one-player game. Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr., John Collins and Kris Dunn all contributed in different ways.
Denver received big numbers from Jokić, Murray and Brown, while Strawther’s outside shooting kept the Nuggets within striking distance.
In the end, 48 minutes of basketball came down to a single point—and almost a single free throw.
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