Clippers use late 22-0 run to stun Nets 125-114
LOS ANGELES — After getting outhustled and outshot for three quarters, the Los Angeles Clippers turned into a team possessed.
Kawhi Leonard scored 14 of his 21 points in the final five minutes and the Clippers overcame an 18-point deficit with a game-ending 22-0 run to beat the Brooklyn Nets 125-114 on Sunday.
After getting outscored 160 to start the game, the Clippers were in catch-up mode.
“They came out and punched us in the mouth and in that fourth quarter we played Clipper basketball, got some stops and the rest is history,” said James Harden, who had 24 points and 10 assists.
The Clippers took their first lead on Leonard’s basket with 2:50 remaining. Their stunning run ended with Leonard’s 3-pointer from the corner to win for the 10th time in 12 games.
“He finally caught his rhythm,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “He’d been under the weather and wasn’t able to practice yesterday and we didn’t know if he was going to be able to go today.”
Russell Westbrook added 23 points off the bench to go with energy that picked up his lethargic teammates.
Leonard and Paul George struggled for most of the game. They combined for 11 of 32 from the floor. George finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
“That was first of a kind, with a slow start and then get red-hot at the end,” George said. “We’re going to always compete to the very end. Great thing about this group is we don’t ever believe that we’re down and out of it.”
Mikal Bridges scored 20 of his 26 points in the first
EASTERN CONFERENCE
W L Pct GB
Boston 33 10 .767 — Milwaukee 29 13 .690 3½ Philadelphia 28 13 .683 4 Cleveland 25 15 .625 6½ New York 26 17 .605 7 Miami 24 19 .558 9 Indiana 24 19 .558 9 Orlando 23 20 .535 10 Chicago 21 23 .477 12½ Atlanta 18 24 .429 14½ Brooklyn 17 25 .405 15½ Toronto 16 27 .372 17 Charlotte 9 31 .225 22½ Washington 7 35 .167 25½ Detroit 4 38 .095 28½
WESTERN CONFERENCE
W L Pct
Minnesota 30 12 .714 Oklahoma City 29 13 .690 Denver 30 14 .682 L.A. Clippers 27 14 .659 New Orleans 25 18 .581 Dallas 24 18 .571 Phoenix 24 18 .571 Sacramento 23 18 .561
L.A. Lakers 22 22 .500
Utah 22 22 .500 Houston 20 22 .476 Golden State 18 22 .450 Memphis 15 27 .357 Portland 12 30 .286 San Antonio 8 34 .190
All times HST Saturday’s Results
Milwaukee 141, Detroit 135 Philadelphia 97, Charlotte 89
San Antonio 131, Washington 127 Cleveland 116, Atlanta 95
New York 126, Toronto 100
Chicago 125, Memphis 96 Oklahoma City 102, Minnesota 97 Houston 127, Utah 126, OT
Sunday’s Results
L.A. Clippers 125, Brooklyn 114 Denver 113, Washington 104 Orlando 105, Miami 87 Boston 116, Houston 107 Phoenix 117, Indiana 110 L.A. Lakers 134, Portland 110
Today’s Games
Cleveland at Orlando, 2 p.m. Milwaukee at Detroit, 2 p.m.
San Antonio at Philadelphia, 2 p.m. Memphis at Toronto, 2:30 p.m. Charlotte at Minnesota, 3 p.m. Boston at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.
Chicago at Phoenix, 4 p.m.
Atlanta at Sacramento, 5 p.m.
Tuesday’s Games
Denver at Indiana, 2 p.m.
New York at Brooklyn, 2:30 p.m. Portland at Oklahoma City, 3 p.m. Utah at New Orleans, 3 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, 5 p.m.
GB — 1 1 2½ 5½ 6 6 6½ 9 9 10 11 15 18 22
half to lead the Nets, who were coming off an 18-point win over LeBron James and the Lakers on Friday night.
“Just got to be better for the whole 48,” Bridges said. “Definitely not fun.”
Down 18 points, the Clippers closed the game on a 39-10 run, scoring 22 in a row to cap it. The crowd roared as they scored nearly every time down the floor.
“It was like a party,” Harden said. “The energy was on hundred. That right there is home-court advantage.”