It may not have been as impressive as Klay Thompson's NBA-record 37-point quarter, but Jamal Crawford's 21-point fourth-quarter eruption on Monday night was good enough to give the Los Angeles Clippers a 102-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers have won five games in a row and hold the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 31-14.
Watch Jamal Crawford’s 21-point 4th quarter vs. Nuggets
Crawford erupted in the fourth quarter to help push the Clippers past the Nuggets.
Los Angeles trailed Denver by eight points heading into the fourth quarter after the Nuggets outscored the Clippers by 11 in the third. Crawford was quiet through the first three quarters, scoring just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 18 minutes.
But Crawford came alive in the final frame, scoring his 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting overall and 3-of-5 from three-point range. He also went 8-of-9 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, with six of those makes coming in the final minute.
While Crawford's fourth-quarter scoring was the story, his most impressive highlight was a behind-the-back save to Matt Barnes for a layup late in the game that put the Clippers up 96-94:
Barnes was the only other Clipper to score more than two points in the fourth quarter. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan combined for just two points and two shot attempts, and it was Paul who took both shots and scored the two points.
With his 21 fourth-quarter points, Crawford now has 268 fourth-quarter points on the season. That's second in the league behind only Damian Lillard, who has 285, per NBA.com. This isn't new for Crawford, who finished tied for fifth in fourth-quarter scoring last season and third in 2012-13.
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