INGLEWOOD — Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has allowed himself at times to think about the what ifs of past postseasons, times when the Clippers came up short or didn’t qualify at all.

But, as he pointed out, that was then, and this is now where the Denver Nuggets stand in their way of advancing in this season’s Western Conference playoffs.

And now meant figuring out how the Clippers could play better in Thursday’s Game 3 than the previous two games.

“We got to play better. We have to play better. That’s our mindset,” he said before the game.

Lue didn’t have to wait long to see whether the Clippers would elevate their game against the former NBA champions. The Clippers put on a dominating display in beating the Nuggets 117-83 in front of an amped up, towel-waving sold out crowd at Intuit Dome.

In a series that had been decided by a combined total of five points in the first two games, this was a surprising result. The blowout gives the Clippers a 2-1 edge in the best-of-7 series as they head into Game 4 on Saturday at Intuit Dome.

After the two close games in Denver, the Clippers returned home, where they were 30-11 this season. Whether it was the familiar surroundings or the fans who cheered non-stop, something energized the Clippers, who led by as many as 25 points behind a balanced attack.

James Harden scored all his 20 points in the first half and had six rebounds and nine assists. Norman Powell, who struggled in the first two games, scored 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while Kawhi Leonard turned in another solid outing with 21 points and 11 rebounds and six assists.

Ivica Zubac scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and had nine rebounds, while Nicolas Batum added 12 points and Derrick Jones Jr. had 10 points.

But it was the Clippers perimeter defense that helped slow the Nuggets, who connected on just 7 of 25 3-pointers (28%). The Clippers were 18-of-39 (46.2%) from long-range, led by Batum, who was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, while Harden, Leonard and Powell, each made three 3-pointers.

The Clippers kept Nikola Jokic off kilter in the early going, but the Nuggets center still posted his 20th triple double of the season with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

Jamaal Murray added 23 points.

The Clippers had dug themselves into a hole early as they struggled to find the basket, giving the crowd little to cheer about.

But as the clocked reached the final two minutes of the first quarter and the white towels began to whip around the arena, Harden found his touch, scoring 11 of the final 16 points of the quarter to push the Clippers ahead by seven points.

It was the kind of kick the Clippers needed as they rode that momentum to a 65-47 halftime lead.

Harden continued his onslaught, piling up 20 points in his first 18 minutes. Batum got into it, adding nine points on three 3-pointers as the Clippers held the Nuggets to 41.3% shooting (19 of 46) in the first half.

Former Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook, who sparked the Nuggets to victory in Game 1, suffered a left foot injury in the second quarter and did not return.