Clippers doomed by turnovers, waste James Harden master class in Game 1 loss to Nuggets

The Clippers turned the ball over 20 times in their 112-110 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. Trailing by three points with seconds left in OT, the Clippers didn't get a shot off when Russell Westbrook knocked away Nic Batum's inbounds pass. Nikola Jokic (29 points, 12 assists) hit two free throws to ice the game, and Denver escaped with the home victory.

Kawhi Leonard was the most egregious offender when it came to ball security, committing seven turnovers, though he made up for it somewhat with three steals. He stepped out of bounds after an offensive rebound in the final minute of OT and lost the ball to Jamal Murray's pressure when the Clippers had the ball with 33 seconds left in regulation and a one-point lead.

The Clippers wasted Harden's masterful game, where the veteran guard scored 32 points and delivered 11 assists, against just two turnovers. He tied the game in regulation after his former Clippers teammate Westbrook hit a go-ahead three. Harden went 3-of-3 in OT, scoring seven points, and nearly saving the game by blocking Westbrook's shot with 13 seconds left.

Still, it's hard to win in OT when you turn over the ball four times, like the Clippers did. In a game where the Clippers shot 50 percent and hit three more three-pointers than the Nuggets, they lost because they got far fewer possessions, thanks to committing nine more turnovers.

It's been a simple equation most of the season for the Clippers. If they turn the ball over a lot, they lose. Unless they start protecting the ball, they're going to lose this first-round series as well.