Field Level Media
Feb 2, 2024
Kawhi Leonard poured in 33 points and the visiting Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Detroit Pistons 136-125 on Friday night.
Russell Westbrook racked up 23 points and reached 25,000 career points. He also dished out nine assists for the Clippers, who are 4-1 on their current seven-game road swing. Los Angeles has won 15 of its last 18 games.
Paul George had 18 points, seven assists and three steals and Norman Powell had 15 points in the win.
Jaden Ivey led the Pistons with 28 points and Bojan Bogdanovic supplied 26 points. Marcus Sasser had 21 points, Cade Cunningham contributed 16 points and 11 assists, and Jalen Duren added 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Leonard had 21 points and Westbrook added 10 as the Clippers led 65-59 at halftime. Bogdanovic paced Detroit with 15 points.
Leonard gave the Clippers an 83-74 lead with a turnaround jumper with 6:57 left in the third quarter. He made a fadeaway with 5:13 left to give the Clippers an 89-80 advantage.
Detroit answered with an 8-0 spurt to pull within one. Cunningham had four points and an assist during that span. Westbrook answered with a 3-pointer. He also hit a mid-range jumper with one minute left in the quarter, then made a layup on the Clippers' next possession.
Powell hit a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left as the Clippers led 101-90 at the end of the third quarter.
Los Angeles scored the first seven points of the fourth to stretch its lead to 18 points. Powell got it started with a 3-pointer and Westbrook capped it with a layup.
Sasser tried to keep his team within striking distance by scoring seven points in the first three minutes of the quarter.
Westbrook's alley-oop dunk off a James Harden feed gave the Clippers a 116-101 lead. Detroit scored the next eight points, including a Duren dunk.
The Clippers responded with a 9-0 run. George had five points during that span, then set up Leonard for a dunk and a 125-109 lead.
George's 3-pointer with 3:42 remaining gave the Clippers a 20-point lead.
--Field Level Media