INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- It was 21-21 at the end of the first quarter. Then, the Clippers went on a 69-19 run to blow the game wide open. It was 90-38 at the 5:44 mark of the 3rd quarter, and the Clippers ended up wining by an astounding 59 points, 126-67.
That is the largest margin of victory for the Clippers in their franchise’s history. But, the biggest story of the game was the play of Kawhi Leonard.
It was announced before the game by head coach Ty Lue that Leonard would be exceeding his minutes restriction of around 21 minutes. He played in 23:49 minutes, but was back to the lethal scorer and defender that the NBA is accustomed to knowing.
Kawhi had 23 points on 8-11 from the field and was a career-high +46. From the opening tip, he was aggressive, quick, decisive and locked in defensively as well.
KAWHI,
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 16, 2025
and again,
and again,
and AGAIN ‼️ pic.twitter.com/TYjwkFw6l7
Major changes were made to the rotation, including Derrick Jones Jr. being inserted back into the starting lineup for Kris Dunn. Jones Jr., as well as 5 other Clippers, were in double figures in the scoring department.
hello FLIGHT 5⃣5⃣, this is your captain speaking 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/rzRuzUF2SA
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 16, 2025
It seems as if every time Jones Jr. and Harden play together, they connect on a lob, and the two were at it again.
Terance Mann returned to the rotation, and Kevin Porter Jr. was sidelined with a DNP-CD, and although Mann gave some good production, he left after playing only 8 minutes with left calf soreness.
The Nets are a team that is trying to tank for a higher draft pick, so it isn’t out of the realm that the Clippers beat a team like this, but to do it in this fashion is an excellent sign for a team trying to incorporate their best player into the rotation.
RT IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS HARDEN MOVE BEFORE pic.twitter.com/SCE0uM7tV5
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 16, 2025
James Harden poured in 21 points and 11 assists, Norm Powell had 18 points and Ivica Zubac scored in double figures as well.
Every player in the Clippers starting five was under 24 minutes of game action, which might be the biggest takeaway.
The Clippers are on a back-to-back and will now face the Portland Trailblazers in Oregon on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM PST.