The ovation Chauncey Billups received Sunday night in Denver must have been heartwarming.
Denver is home to Billups. He played his high school ball there, was an All-American at the University of Colorado and still makes his offseason home in the area.
So maybe it was no surprise that Billups played his best game of the season -- and the Los Angeles Clippers got one of their most significant victories -- in Denver.
"Of course you want to play good in front of your family, but that's it," Billups told Prime Ticket after scoring a season-high 32 points in the Clippers' 109-105 win over the Nuggets. "You want to play good and you want to win."
The victory was important because it was only the Clippers' second on the road this season – and their first since beating the Golden State Warriors in their Christmas Day opener. In between, they lost four in a row.
In the past, they've given up leads and allowed opponents to rally late in the game. Sunday, they overcame a 10-point Nuggets advantage and surged at the end behind Billups and Chris Paul, who combined for 57 points.
Billups made a three-pointer that tied the score 99-99 with 3 minutes left in the game, then converted a three-point play with 2:36 left that pushed the Clippers in front, 101-99.
Paul sank four clutch free throws in the last 36 seconds, the last two coming after he was fouled by veteran Nuggets guard Andre Miller.
The game marked the first time Billups faced the Nuggets in Denver since his trade by the Nuggets to the New York Knicks last season in the Carmelo Anthony deal. The Clippers claimed Billups off waivers following the lockout when the Knicks cut him loose via the one-time amnesty clause.
He actually had to be convinced to come to LA, hoping he would go unclaimed and be able to choose his own team. At one point, he said he considered retirement before he was persuaded that LA was the place.
Billips came out firing on Sunday, scoring 12 points in the opening quarter, and he didn't stop. For the game, he was 11 for 20 from the floor and 6 of 12 from three-point range. His impressive performance came on the heels of a three-game stretch in which he struggled, hitting just 6 of 27 shots.
So this was a game Billups needed. And it was one the Clippers needed as well, given their difficulties on the road.
"We've got to get better on the road," Billups said. "This was a great opponent for us to face on the road with the way they played. We've got to be locked in defensively. We knew they were going to make some runs and they did. We just withstood the runs (and) stayed close. Chris made some major, major baskets in that fourth quarter. … It was a collective effort."
The Clippers, who snapped a nine-game skid in Denver, made 47 percent of their three-points, sinking a season-best 14 of 30. And although they had defensive lapses, they remained persistent enough to get back in the game when it appeared the Nuggets might pull away.
Without question, it was a nice way to start a tough stretch of four games in five nights and five games in seven nights.
They're back at Staples Center on Monday to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the best record in the league at 16-3 and are 8-2 on the road.
Sunday was one test. Monday is another.
