CLIPPERS KEEP ROLLING
Leonard scores 34 points as Los Angeles stretches win streak to 7 games
LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Oklahoma City 108-101 on Sunday for their seventh consecutive victory and second straight over the Thunder.
Serge Ibaka added 17 points. At 13-4, the Clippers are tied with the Lakers for the best record in the NBA. Leonard’s total was one off his season high to go with nine rebounds and eight assists. He had 31 points in LA’s 14-point win over the Thunder on Friday night.
“On a night when we weren’t making shots, it was a good, tough, grind-out win for us,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Kawhi had it going so we played through him a lot, especially in the second half. We had to ride him pretty hard just so we could continue to keep the lead.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 23 points against his former team, and George Hill added 22 points. Oklahoma City has lost three in a row and five of six.
“It was a huge improvement from the first game,” forward Isaiah Roby said. “We came out with a lot more fight this game.”
Hill hit three straight 3-pointers for the Thunder after they trailed by 17 in the fourth. Reggie Jackson turned the ball over and Luguentz Dort fed Gilgeous-Alexander for a dunk that capped 11 consecutive points and cut their deficit to 102-96.
Leonard dunked to stop the Thunder’s run. Gilgeous-Alexander dribbled inside and scored, getting the Thunder back within six. Oklahoma City was forced to foul in the closing seconds and Jackson made 4 of 6 free throws to close it out.
“He did a great job of just getting us the lead,” Jackson said of Leonard. “They were loading up on Kawhi and Paul. They did a great job of attacking.”
The Thunder hung around in the third, cutting their deficit to 72-67. But Leonard hit a 3-pointer and another basket, quickly restoring the Clippers’ lead to double digits. They were bolstered by Jackson’s 10 points, including eight in a row, after he started the second half.
“We’re playing team basketball and sharing the ball,” Leonard said. “We’re having some breakdowns defensively, but we’re staying positive.”
HORNETS 107, MAGIC 104: In Orlando, Fla., Gordon Hayward broke a tie with a layup with 0.7 seconds left and scored 39 points in Charlotte’s comeback victory over the Magic.
Hayward beat Evan Fournier off the dribble and made the left-handed layup after Orlando’s Terrence Ross tied it with a 3-pointer with 8.7 seconds to play.
The teams will meet again Monday night in Orlando.
Charlotte ended a four-game losing streak, opening the fourth with a 25-4 run. Hayward had his fourth 30-point game of the season. He was 15 of 25 from the field, 5 of 8 on 3-pointers and also had nine rebounds. Miles Bridges added 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
Nikola Vucevic topped the 10,000-point mark for his career early in the night and finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds for Orlando.
CELTICS 141, CAVALIERS 103: In Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter and the Celtics snapped their three-game losing streak by cruising to a victory over Cleveland.
Kemba Walker added 21 points, Daniel Theis scored 17, Carsen Edwards had 15 and Marcus Smart had 12 for Boston, which posted a season high in points in a half, taking a 73-51 edge into intermission. Brown played just 19 minutes.
Collin Sexton led Cleveland with 13 points, far below his team-leading average of 26.8 per game, as the Cavaliers’ threegame winning streak ended.
Behind Smart’s 10 points and Brown’s nine, the Celtics shot 60% and pulled to a 38-21 lead after the opening quarter.
They pushed it to 41-21 on Walker’s 3-pointer on the first possession of the second quarter.
RAPTORS 107, PACERS 102: In Indianapolis, OG Anunoby scored a seasonhigh 30 points and made three free throws in the final minute to break a tie and help surging Toronto beat Indiana.
The Raptors have won two straight and five of their last six, including this one without injured All-Stars Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam.
Myles Turner had 25 points and six blocks for Indiana. The Pacers have lost three of four.
BUCKS 129, HAWKS 115: In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 14 rebounds and Milwaukee beat Atlanta to snap a two-game losing streak.
Antetokounmpo had eight assists, finishing two shy of a triple-double. Bobby Portis added 21 points, and Khris Middleton had 19 for Milwaukee.
De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with a career-high 33 points. John Collins had 30 points, but the short-handed Hawks saw their three-game winning streak end. They were without scoring leader Trae Young (back spasms) and center Clint Capela (sore right hand).
SPURS 121, WIZARDS 101: In San Antonio, Patty Mills scored 21 points, Lonnie Walker IV added 16 and San Antonio beat Washington in the Wizards’ first game in two weeks.
The Wizards had their previous six games postponed because they did not have enough eligible players due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. Washington was playing for the first time since Jan. 11, when it beat visiting Phoenix.
The Wizards still had six players ineligible, and Washington faded down the stretch. Bradley Beal scored 31 points, and Russell Westbrook had nine points, eight rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes.
TRAIL BLAZERS 116, KNICKS 113: In Portland, Ore., Damian Lillard racked up 39 points and eight assists and the Trail Blazers outlasted New York.
Immanuel Quickley scored 31 points off the bench for the Knicks.