Nuggets’ David Adelman, Nikola Jokic Stand By Decision Not To Call Last Timeout In Loss To Clippers

You live with it. That’s what Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said. And that’s what the Nuggets will have to do after a 105-102 home loss to the Clippers — one that featured some clutch-time second-guessing, some Kawhi Leonard brilliance, and a whole lot of “what if.”

Adelman’s biggest call came in the final seconds, down three, with a timeout still in his back pocket. Christian Braun rebounded a Clippers miss with 11 seconds left. Instead of stopping the action, Adelman let it play.

“In transition, I thought we had a chance to get an open three,” he told reporters, via Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette. “Numbers were going the other way.”

Braun passed up a clean look with 8.7 seconds left, pump-faked, side-stepped, and missed. Nikola Jokic grabbed the rebound — and again, no timeout. Jokic eventually fired a contested three over Leonard that fell short.

Was it the right call? Jokic thinks so.

“If we call a timeout, they had a foul to give,” he said. “Are we really going to have a lot of time?”

Leonard torched Denver for 39 points on a ridiculous 15-of-19 shooting, and the Clippers wrestled home-court advantage away by evening the series at 1-1.

Jokic finished with a triple-double (26-12-10), but also turned it over seven times. Jamal Murray added 23 points while fighting through an illness. Michael Porter Jr. bounced back with 15 points and 15 boards.

Tough loss, tough decisions. The series now shifts to L.A., with Game 3 set for Thursday.

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