INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Clippers continued their surge late in the season with a decisive 119-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome, using a fast start and balanced scoring to take control early and never look back.
Kawhi Leonard led the way with 27 points, while Darius Garland added 24 points and five three-pointers, and Bennedict Mathurin chipped in 23 points off the bench as the Clippers won their third straight game.
The tone was set in the opening quarter, where Los Angeles raced out to a 36-22 lead and closed the period on a 23-9 run to seize control. The Clippers’ spacing, shooting and defensive pressure overwhelmed Toronto from the outset, with Los Angeles finishing 16-of-35 from three-point range and holding the Raptors to 94 points.
Head coach Tyronn Lue pointed to Garland’s deep shooting range as a key factor in the offense’s rhythm.
“Darius gives us more space, more spacing on the floor,” Lue said. “When a guy can shoot from that far out, you have to close out higher.”
That spacing opened the floor for Leonard and others to attack, as the Clippers’ stars combined for 74 points. Leonard noted how that dynamic changes the geometry of the game.
“You’re just on the radar… everybody has to shrink the paint,” he said.
Brook Lopez anchored the interior on both ends, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds and five blocks while setting the tone early with 11 first-quarter points. Lue emphasized a growing emphasis on Lopez rolling to the rim in addition to spacing the floor.
“Just that fine line of mixing in rolling and popping… more rolls when we can,” Lue said.
The Clippers’ depth also played a major role, with the bench contributing 52 points in a complete team effort.
Toronto never fully recovered from its slow start. Darko Rajaković said the lack of early energy proved costly.
“First quarter… we did not have the energy and focus,” Rajaković said.
Brandon Ingram led the Raptors with 18 points, while Jakob Poeltl added 10 despite briefly leaving the game with a facial cut. Toronto shot just 40-of-96 from the field and struggled to keep pace offensively.
“I think we have some talented guys,” Ingram said. “We just gotta actually do what we do well… and play harder.”
With the win, the Clippers improved to 37-36 and remained in the Western Conference playoff race, while the Raptors dropped their third straight game as they continue to fight for positioning in the East.