Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer does not own the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Denver Nuggets do.

The NBA defending world champions just received a propitious break. The league has announced that a Nuggets-Clippers game has been added to the schedule Wednesday in L.A., because both teams failed to advance in the league’s inaugural intramural in-season tournament.

Circle Chump Day as the Nuggets’ ninth consecutive regular-season victory over the Paper Clips in 2021-22-23. Nobody else in the league has beaten the Clippers in eight straight.

The Nuggets also own a three-game winning streak in the playoffs over the Clipsters during the 2020 phenomenal run on the road in the Pandemic Orlando Bubblefest.

The latest triumph in the Clip Joint was the most amazing and satisfying for the Nuggets in a while. At home Monday night the Clippers had eight first-round draft choices, including four future Basketball Hall of Famers receiving a total of $130 million in salary this season. Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook and James Harden have played in a combined 32 All-Star games and won four regular-season or NBA finals MVP awards. This Fab Foursome, with center Ivica Zubac, could go on a Harlem Globetrotters-type tour in the off-season and win every game against the Washington Generals, the Washington Wizards and the Kawasaki Brave Thunders.

When the Clippers added Harden a month ago it was assumed by quasi-experts that they could be the next dynasty or, at least, a unit that would win 60 games – after they had won 3 of the first 4 in the season without Harden.

Look out NBA and, especially, the Nuggets. Not only would the Clippers be the best in the West, but they’d end Denver’s short reign at the top of the crop and quickly halt that losing stretch against the Nuggets.

But a funny thing happened on the Clippers’ way to a Tinseltown title.

Beginning Nov. 1, they lost six games in a row – the last to the Nuggets at All-Out Ball-Out Arena on Nov. 14 as the genuine three-time MVP Nikola Jokic finished with 32 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, and a friendly stat crew should have given him a triple-double 10th assist in four games this season. Nevertheless, The Joker has seven triple-double games.

While the Nuggets were missing guard Jamal Murray with an angry hamstring the Fabled Foursome accounted for 79 of the Clippers’ points, but couldn’t complete the feat.

The Nuggets possessed a beaming 9-2 record, and the Clippers were a woeful 3-7.

If he were in the second grade, Harden would be described by the teacher as, “Doesn’t play well with others.’’ The Clippers don’t deserve shiny new things, as Westbrook decided afterward. The veteran point guard told coach Tyronn Lue he was willing to come off the bench, but he might have been thinking: “I don’t want to be on the court with Harden.’’ George and Leonard were keeping their mouths from mentioning Harden, and they didn’t volunteer to do anything different.

So the teams arrived for their second clash Monday night. Westbrook was not in the starting lineup, and Harden was, uh, Harden.

But Murray still would be sidelined, and Aaron Gordon sat with a heel issue. And, stop the presses!, Jokic was held out because of lower back pain. Besides, the people in the arena in Los Angeles had seen enough of The Joker during the Lakers’ embarrassment in the Western Conference Finals. So the Nuggets started three reserves – Reggie Jackson, Justin Holiday and old pro DeAndre Jordan, who usually occupies the last seat. The Nuggets were left with basketball’s bad bench.

The Los Angeles Times was preparing the headline “STREAK STOPPED’’.

Then, Reggie Jackson turned into “Mr. November’’ against his former team with 39 points by connecting on 15 of 19 shots (3 of 4 beyond the arc), 13 assists, five rebounds, two steals and one startling victory over the Clippers. DeAndre Jordan, who had played 10 seasons with the Clippers, became like Michael with 21 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Harden managed 11 points, two rebounds, four assists and three turnovers.

The Clippers were humiliated again — by Nuggets Lite. Streak unstoppable.

Who’s your owner?

Nugget Michael Porter, Jr. passes the ball past Clipper James Harden during the first quarter of a game at Ball Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)