Denver’s road struggles reared their unsightly head Wednesday against the Clippers.

Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 111-102 loss Wednesday in Los Angeles:

1. Nikola Jokic is truly one of one. Who else could have a 22-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist triple-double considered a bad game? The shot wasn’t falling for the two-time Most Valuable Player, who finished an uncharacteristic 9 of 32 from the field. Despite the unusually high number of attempts, Denver’s center earned just a couple of free throws. He also went 2 of 7 from 3. A 0-for-9 shooting stretch in the second quarter highlighted the rare off night for Jokic, who also finished with a team-high four turnovers. Despite the tough night, the Nuggets still won his 37-plus minutes of playing time by one point.

2. Jamal Murray is going to have to pick it up if he wants the biggest extension possible this offseason.

Murray made his return to the rotation Wednesday after missing the last two games with an ankle sprain. That brings his total number of missed games to 13, leaving him with a maximum of 69 games played this season. For Murray to be eligible for a super-max contract extension this summer, he has to make an All-NBA team. Per the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, players must play in 65 games to be eligible. That means Murray’s got to play at a high level and stay healthy to maximize his payday this offseason. He finished with a team-high 23 points and added six rebounds with just one turnover. He made 10 of his 18 shots but went 2 of 7 from 3.

3. The return of Denver’s regular starting five should’ve been a boost to Denver’s bench, but that wasn’t the case. With Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray back in the lineup, Nuggets coach Michael Malone was able to use a five-man second unit consisting of Reggie Jackson, Julian Strawther, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and DeAndre Jordan. Jackson and Jordan crushed the Clippers as fill-in starters a little more than a week ago, but the group struggled across the board in the first half. Malone stuck with the same group to close the third and start the fourth. Jackson (14) and Braun (8) accounted for 22 of Denver’s 28 points off the bench, but all of Denver’s reserves finished minus-8 or worse in their minutes.

CLIPPERS 111, NUGGETS 102

What happened: A hot stay fizzled away, and the Nuggets dropped to 5-8 away from Ball Arena.

Denver got its starting five back together and needed just over four minutes to create a double-digit lead. The Nuggets took a 15-point advantage to the second. The Clippers closed within five before Nikola Jokic and most of the other starters returned to the court and erased the deficit in the middle of the second quarter. The hosts went on to lead by as many as nine before settling for a 61-57 edge at halftime. Jokic scored the first four points of the third, and Denver led by three to start the fourth. Russell Westbrook tied the game with a three-point play early in the fourth, and the Clippers led by four with five minutes remaining. Los Angeles led the rest of the way.

What went right: The Nuggets came out on fire, making y of their first 8 attempts from 3-point range. Denver finished the first quarter 8 for 10 from 3. Nikola Jokic made his first two attempts from deep, while Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also hit from distance in the first 3 minutes and 5 seconds. Then, Michael Porter Jr. joined the fun. Porter made the first three 3s he attempted, leading Denver to a double-digit advantage.

What went wrong: Denver’s big first-quarter lead dissolved quickly. The Nuggets led by 14 when Jokic checked out in the final 90 seconds of the opening quarter. The bench struggled on both ends, allowing Los Angeles to make it a six-point game when Jokic returned with seven minutes left in the second. The struggles continued with the starters, as Denver allowed a 16-2 run that flipped the lead in Los Angeles’ favor. The Clippers ended up winning the second quarter 40-21 to completely undo Denver’s strong start.

Highlight of the night: It didn’t take long for Denver’s starters to get back in sync. Jamal Murray rejected a screen midway through the first quarter and hit Jokic with a pocket pass. With a crowd of Clippers converging on the Nuggets center in the middle of the paint, Jokic flipped an alley-oop to Aaron Gordon who crashed from the dunker’s spot. Gordon finished with a little extra flair, opting for a reverse dunk that put Denver up 13.

Up next: The Nuggets return to Denver for Friday’s game against Houston before hitting the road again early next week.