The No. 5-seeded Los Angeles Clippers suffered a devastating loss to the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.
With the game tied at 99-99 with just seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic threw up a 3-point heave.
The attempted game-winner missed badly, but Denver forward Aaron Gordon punched home the airball with a dunk as the buzzer sounded.
The Nuggets claimed at 101-99 win and tied the series 2-2 heading back to Denver for Game 5.
While Game 4 resulted in heartbreak for the home-team Clippers, it also resulted in some big-time franchise history for Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard, who scored 24 points in the loss, now holds sole possession of third place on the Clippers’ all-time postseason scoring list.
“Movin’ up in the history books. Kawhi Leonard surpassed Paul George for sole possession of 3rd place on the Clippers’ all-time playoff points list,” the Clippers wrote in an announcement on X.
Leonard now has 900 points through 32 playoff games with the Clippers. The 33-year-old NBA veteran trails only Chris Paul (1,125) and Blake Griffin (1,073) on the Clippers’ all-time postseason scoring list.
Through the first four games of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Nuggets, Leonard is averaging 26.5 points per game on 56.2% shooting from the field and 47.6% shooting from behind the 3-point arc.
Leonard dropped a game-high 39 points in the Clippers’ road victory over the Nuggets in Game 2.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray battle for a loose ball.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Tuesday’s Game 5 matchup between the Clippers and Nuggets will tipoff at 10 p.m. ET from Denver’s Ball Arena.
