FIRST-ROUND RESULTS (HOME team in CAPS)

LA Clippers win 4-1 SU (3-2 ATS)
UNDER 5-0

5/1/06 - Game 5: LA CLIPPERS 101, Denver 83 (ATS winner: LAC -6.5 | UNDER 191)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: Denver led 23-21 at the end of the first quarter, but the Clippers took charge in the second to take a 46-40 halftime lead.  The Nuggets then got within a point by opening the third on a 14-9 run, and LA responded by outscoring them 14-3 to take a 14-point lead into the final quarter.  Denver had trouble scoring throughout the series, and this game was no different.  The Nuggets totaled just 17 points in both the second and third quarters to keep the game UNDER yet again.

4/29/06 - Game 4: La Clippers 100, DENVER 86 (ATS winner: LAC +3.5 | UNDER 193)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Clippers took charge early and outscored the Nuggets in every quarter but the last, keeping the home team from gaining any type of momentum.  LA has now limited Denver to 87 points or less in three of the four games of this series, with every game going UNDER.

4/27/06 - Game 3: DENVER 94, La Clippers 87 (ATS winner: Denver -5 | UNDER 194)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: This game wasn't decided until the last two minutes of the game, which the Nuggets closed on a 5-0 run after the Clippers had pulled within 89-87.  Carmelo Anthony made a driving layup with 1:59 remaining that gave Denver a 91-87 lead, and LA then proceeded to miss four shots, including two 3-point attempts, either of which would have covered the spread had they gone down.  The Clippers combined for just 30 points in the first and fourth quarters, obvious signs of their offensive struggles at the beginning and end of the game that also contributed heavily to the UNDER.  The losing team has managed to score exactly 87 points in each game of the series so far.

4/24/06 - Game 2: LA CLIPPERS 98, Denver 87 (ATS winner: LAC: -3 | UNDER 191.5)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Clippers jumped out to a 34-13 lead after the first quarter and cruised from there, with Denver chipping away throughout the game but never seriously threatening the spread.  The Nuggets made just 34 percent of their shots and saw star Carmelo Anthony struggle with foul trouble early on.  Anthony was pulled in the first quarter after picking up two early fouls and failed to get into any type of rhythm offensively, finishing with just 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting.  It's clear Denver runs its offense through Anthony, and the team looks lost without him.  Again, the UNDER cashed due to another poor offensive performance from the Nuggets, who averaged 100.3 points per game during the regular season.

4/22/06 - Game 1: LA CLIPPERS 89, Denver 87 (ATS winner: Denver +4.5 | UNDER 195.5)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Clippers won their first playoff game in 13 years but struggled to close out the Nuggets after leading by as many as 16 points.  Denver closed out the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 87 with 1:08 remaining and had a couple chances to send the game to overtime, but Anthony missed two shots in the last 10 seconds as part of an 0-for-8 fourth quarter.  The Nuggets played outstanding defense in the last 12 minutes, limiting the Clippers to just 13 points and forcing the game UNDER.

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REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

LA Clippers win 3-1 SU (2-2 ATS)
OVER/UNDER 2-2

4/4/06 - LA 111, Denver 109 (ATS winner: Denver +4.5 | OVER 204.5)
1/28/06 - LA 112, Denver 79 (ATS winner: LA -3.5 | UNDER 180)
1/27/05 - La 105, DENVER 87 (ATS winner: LA +6 | UNDER 194.5)
11/25/05 - DENVER 105, La 95 (ATS winner: Denver -4.5 | OVER 199)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECAP: No meeting defined the regular-season series like the last, as the Clippers rallied back from a 22-point deficit to beat the Nuggets.  Los Angeles trailed 77-57 at halftime and allowed Denver to shoot a blistering 82 percent from the floor in the first half.  The Clippers had crushed the Nuggets in both games during a home-and-home series in late January and have since added Vladimir Radmanovic and Corey Maggette to the rotation.  LA also has the advantage of a battle-tested floor general in Sam Cassell, who has enjoyed much success in the postseason and is the ideal mentor for second-year pro Shaun Livingston.  Between the two, the Clips should control the point guard matchup against former Clipper and current Nugget Andre Miller.