Jamal Crawford scores 21 in 4th to help Clippers edge Nuggets

Well, Jamal Crawford certainly got hot in a hurry.

Things were touch-and-go for the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Monday night, with Doc Rivers' surging team looking shaky against the visiting Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets played uncharacteristically well throughout, taking an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter.

To that point, Crawford had been quiet, with two points on 1-of-6 shooting. But Crawford is all about getting ridiculous hot quickly, and the reigning Sixth Man of the Year hopped in the microwave before the game's final frame.

In the fourth, Crawford poured in 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting, hitting three triples and going 8-of-9 from the line, almost single-handedly stealing the game back for the Clippers. As if the points weren't enough, he saved a key possession that led to a go-ahead basket with just 1:23 to play.

He'd follow that with six free throws in the game's final minute to seal the game, finishing with a game-high 23 points and adding four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Crawford has played a little below his own lofty offensive standard so far this season, but he remains ever capable of stealing victories with insane stretches of play.

The win is L.A.'s fifth in a row and eighth in their last 10 games, pushing them to 31-14 and back in a position of home-court advantage in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. They'll now head out on a ludicrous eight-game road trip, so it was surely nice to secure this final home victory and leave town in high spirits.